


Nothing But Time

by timberlakechasez



Category: NSYNC, Popslash
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-01-29 12:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 77,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21410284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timberlakechasez/pseuds/timberlakechasez
Summary: In New York City, there is no such thing as money. Money is time. JC Chasez, president of Chasez Banks finds his life turned upside when he meets Justin Timberlake, an editor at GQ Magazine and they fall in love. AU Joshtin Slash. Based on the concept of the movie In Time.
Relationships: JC Chasez/Justin Timberlake
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

"Justin, you gotta stop with this, man," Chris Kirkpatrick spoke, looking at his best friend and coworker, Justin Timberlake. Justin sighed, as he pulled up the sleeve of his light blue dress shirt and looked at the seconds, and minutes ticking away on his arm. Where they lived, there was no such thing as money. Money was time. And once the time on your arm hit zero, you were dead. Justin had recently moved to New York after his mother timed out, leaving him with no parents. His father died when he was a child, and he and his mom were extremely close, so when she died, Justin made a promise to her. He was going to do everything he could to move on with his life and better himself, no matter how much time he had.

"I just - I'm doing everything right, Chris. I have a job. A good job. Fuck, I'm a graphic editor at GQ. I don't know how much more I can do. Yet, I still have only 3 days to my name," The 23 year old sighed, turning his head back to the glass of his vodka and coke, taking a sip.

"It might have something to do with your consistency with buying alcohol," The 33 year old teased, nudging his friend. When he didn't see a smile, he sighed. "Come on, J. You started at GQ 4 months ago. When you did, you had about an hour to your name. You spent all your time to move here. It takes time to build it back up," He tried to help, looking around the darkly lit bar they sat in.

"Yeah, time that I don't have," Justin scoffed. He looked around the bar, seeing couples dancing and grinding on one another, with no care in the world, just enjoying their time. His eyes then turned to the VIP section on the next level of the club, and noticed a tall, raven haired man, leaning over the railing and staring directly at him. Justin's breath hitched, taking in the man's black dress shirt and dress pants, and instantly deciding he was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen in his life. Justin slowly ripped his eyes away from the man, turning to Chris. "W-who's that?" He questioned, eyes turning back to the male who was no longer looking at him, but the group of people he was with. Chris followed his gaze, smirking when he saw where his friend was looking.

"JC Chasez. His family owns one of the biggest time banks in the country. He's rich," Chris said, sipping his gin and tonic. Justin sighed as he turned back to JC, blushing when their eyes met again.

"So basically, that means he'd never go for someone as broke as me," He mumbled. The two friends quietly sat and chatted with one another about their upcoming projects at work, and when they were going to get their much needed pay checks. But Justin couldn't help his mind from wandering to JC. He was so gorgeous, and Justin saw something in his eyes, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Justin?" Chris questioned, shaking his best friend out of his deep thoughts.

"Huh? Sorry, what?" The 23 year old responded, and Chris smirked.

"I asked if you were ready to go," He repeated.

"Oh. Uh - yeah," The younger of the two responded, running his hand through his short, light brown curls and standing up. "I - uhm - I gotta go to the washroom," He spoke.

"You want me to hold your hand or something?" Chris teased, seeing Justin roll his eyes. "I'm kidding. I'll be outside. I'll wait for you to call a cab," He said, putting a hand on Justin's shoulder before walking through the sea of people and out of Justin's vision. The truth was, he didn't exactly have to go to the restroom. He saw JC descend down the long staircase of the VIP section and head towards the direction of the washroom, and Justin felt a pull towards the man. He needed to see him face to face. He walked towards the restroom, and as he entered the empty corridor that lead there, his breath hitched. There he was. Leaning against the wall, one leg bent and resting against it, his arms folded. Almost like he was waiting for him. As Justin got a better look at JC, he realized that his initial thoughts of how beautiful he was, was an intense understatement. The only word that came to mind was perfection. He felt his heart flutter, and when he focused on JC again, he saw him smile smile and begin to walk towards him, Justin frozen in place.

"Hi," The man breathed. "I was hoping you'd find your way back here."

"H-hi," Justin stumbled, his mind racing a mile a minute, and JC chuckled, taking Justin's hand in his own and pressing it to his lips.

"I'm JC."

"Justin," He responded, unable to tear his gaze away from JC's cobalt eyes.

"Justin," JC repeated, smiling in approval. "Why have I never seen you here before?"

"I - uhm - I just moved here. From Memphis. To start a new job," Justin replied with the short summary of his recent months. Sure, JC was by far the most handsome man he'd ever laid eyes on, but he was still a stranger. He didn't need to know Justin's full story. Not yet.

"So, you don't know who I am?" JC questioned, his mouth slowly curling into a smirk as he slowly rolled up the sleeve of his black dress shirt, revealing that he had almost a million years. Justin inhaled slowly as he looked at the number, then back up to JC's face.

"No," The 23 year old responded, absentmindedly tugging on his own sleeve, making sure his time was hidden. JC noticed, and put a hand on Justin's, stopping him.

"I don't care how much time you have. I'm not like that. In fact, it's actually kind of nice to have someone who isn't bowing at my feet and begging for time," JC spoke, and Justin could see the sincerity in his eyes. Slowly, he pulled the blue fabric covering his forearm, showcasing 3 days, 4 hours, 21 minutes and 37 seconds, in a bright green glowing text. JC nodded at the number, and Justin felt some of his worries fade. "See, that wasn't so bad," He softly said, placing his forearm over Justin's and turning it before Justin could even realize what was happening.

"I don't want your time," He tried to protest, but JC wasn't letting go.

"I want you to have time. How am I supposed to get to know you if you have no time?" JC said, and Justin looked up, surprise in his crystal blue eyes.

"You want to get to know me?" He questioned, and JC lightly chuckled.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have waited for you like an idiot back here if I didn't," JC responded, finally taking his forearm off of Justin's. Justin shifted his eyes to his arm, gasping at the text on his arm. 100 years. JC had just given Justin 100 years.

"JC -" He started, but was silenced when the older man put a finger to his lips.

"Sh. 100 years is nothing to me."

"But - you just met me. You barely know me," He tried to rebuttal, his voice silencing and his head lowering.

"But i'd like to. There's something about you, Justin. Something that intrigues me," He said, lifting his chin, and chuckled when he saw the other man blush. "Come home with me," He whispered, and Justin's eyes widened. "I just want -" He started, and before he could finish, Justin couldn't resist the urge to lean forward and press his lips to JC's, enveloping him in a kiss. JC was surprised, but melted into the kiss as Justin put his hands through JC's raven hair. Justin moaned as JC put his hands on his thighs, lifting him off the ground and allowing the slightly younger man to wrap his legs around his waist. The two pulled apart, Justin's blue orbs slowly opening, his hands still wrapped around JC's neck.

"Does that answer your question?" He asked, slightly out of breath. JC smiled, placing Justin back on the floor.

"It sure does. Just let me call my driver and we'll get out of here," He said, and Justin gasped.

"Shit! I forgot - my friend Chris - he's waiting for me outside. I told him I was going to the bathroom," Justin remembered, putting a hand on his face. JC chuckled, putting a hand on his lower back.

"That's not a problem. I'll call another driver for him," The raven haired male responded. "Go tell him. I'll wait here," He urged, gently pushing Justin towards the front door. As Justin's feet lead him through the crowded dance floor, he couldn't believe he was in the situation that he was. He wasn't typically the type to just willingly go home with someone he just met. But there was something about JC. Something that wouldn't allow him to say no or regulate his feelings. Sighing, he once again ran a hand through his curls, pushing the entrance door open and spotting Chris.

"Hey," He greeted, watching as his friend turned around with a smirk.

"Okay, do I even want to know why you took so long and why the hell you have the 'I'm about to get laid' look?" Chris smirked, crossing his arms.

"Shut it, Kirkpatrick. I - uhm - I called a car for you," He said, looking down, missing the look of amusement on Chris' face.

"You're calling me a car? Didn't you just complain about how much time you didn't have?" The elder questioned, his eyebrows mockingly raised.

"Can you just shut up? I'll explain later," He huffed, starting to get impatient with his best friend. An extremely hot man was waiting for him, and instead he was standing outside arguing. Chris' eyes shifted to Justin's forearm, and before the younger could protest, he grabbed his arm, pushing up the sleeve of his dress shirt and gasping at the number he saw.

"100 years?! Justin what the -" He exclaimed, and instantly, Justin's hand covered his mouth.

"Sh! Are you trying to get me killed?!" He spat, waiting for Chris to calm down before removing his hand. If anyone knew how much time he had, he'd be a target. People would do anything for time around their area.

"Sorry, J. But where the hell did you get 100 years?!" He exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Look, I told you I'd explain later. I gotta go," Justin responded, turning away from Chris and heading back into the club. He walked to the bathroom corridor as fast as his legs would let him, smiling when he saw JC still waiting there, his cell phone pressed to his ear.

"Okay. We'll be right out. Thank you," JC said, his eyes glued to Justin's as he ended the call. "Hey."

"Hey," Justin blushed.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'm ready," He said, nervously rubbing his hands together. He couldn't believe he was going home with someone he'd just met. Not to mention someone with a million years to their name. Justin was shaken out of his thoughts when JC placed a kind hand on his arm.

"Hey. You don't need to be nervous, Justin," JC's said, and as Justin looked in his eyes, he saw the honesty apparent and smiled.

"Okay. Let's go," He responded, allowing himself to be led out of the crowded club.


	2. Chapter 2

"We're here," JC announced, turning to look at Justin who's jaw dropped open, staring at the building in front of him. It was a 4 story mansion, with dark exterior walls, about 4 cars in the driveway, the modern design striking Justin as expensive.

"Where is here?" Justin asked, his blue eyes searching the property. JC smiled and thanked the driver as he opened his door, allowing him to crawl out and wait for Justin to follow. He placed a hand on his lower back, guiding him down the long, cobblestone driveway.

"Here is where I live," He responded, watching as Justin's eyes increasingly widened.

"Wait, you live here?!" The Memphis native exclaimed. Yeah, Chris had told him that JC was rich, but it didn't click until he saw just how rich he was. JC laughed, running his free hand through his raven hair, reaching the large, dark, wooden doors and typing in a code that sat above the handle. As the door opened, Justin couldn't help but just stand there, still somewhat in shock that this was even happening.

"Come on," JC encouraged, taking the lead and stepping foot into his foyer. Justin followed nervously, and before he could wonder why the lights were already on, an older gentleman wearing a tuxedo appeared beside them, a gold hanger in his hand.

"Good evening, Mr. Chasez," He greeted, nodding his head at JC.

"Evening, Marcel," JC responded, turning to Justin and noting him standing slightly behind him, undoubtedly intimidated. Without taking his eyes off of Justin, JC slowly took off his black double breasted coat, handing it to Marcel. Marcel's eyes followed JC's gaze as he put the coat on the hanger, and finally noticed the other man standing there.

"Oh, forgive me, Mr. Chasez. I weren't aware you were having any guests tonight," The man spoke, smiling apologetically. JC finally ripped his eyes off of the boy beside him, turning to Marcel.

"No worries. This was just a last minute decision anyways. Marcel, this is Justin…" He started, turning to Justin as he realized he didn't yet know his last name, yet he was so eager to bring him home.

"Timberlake," Justin finished, turning to look at JC, who smiled softly.

"Timberlake," JC repeated with a huge smile, as if in approval. He would never have guessed it, but Justin Timberlake seemed to be the perfect name for the man.

"Mr. Timberlake, allow me to go grab another hanger and I'll hang up your coat," He spoke, nodding at the two before disappearing down the long corridor, leaving them. JC turned to look at Justin, and noticed his eyes focused on where Marcel had just walked, his confusion evident.

"Marcel. My butler," He explained with a slight shrug. Justin chuckled, turning to JC.

"I love how you say it as if it's something everyone has."

"Isn't it?" JC responded, and Justin's smile faded. Soon, JC erupted into laughter. "Oh my God, that was priceless! Obviously I know not a lot of people have a god damn butler. But hey, my family can afford it, so why not?" He shrugged. Justin laughed, before noticing Marcel approaching them again, an identical hanger in his hand.

"Mr. Timberlake," He spoke, and Justin slowly removed his black and white windbreaker, handing it to the shorter man.

"Thank you," Justin gently said, as Marcel hung up the jacket neatly, nodding at the two.

"My pleasure. Mr. Chasez, you know where you may find me if you need anything, correct?"

"Yes. Thank you, Marcel," JC smiled, watching the man walk away. He placed his hand on Justin's lower back, guiding him to the large, black velour couch that sat in his living room. "Are you hungry?" He asked, and Justin slowly shook his head, still taking everything in as JC sat next to him.

"No, I'm okay. Thanks," He spoke shyly.

"Okay. Well if you are, just let me know. There's a chef in the kitchen," The raven haired male spoke, and Justin chuckled.

"Why am I not surprised?" He replied, and JC laughed.

"So, you said you moved here after you got a job right?" JC asked, wanting to know more about the gorgeous man sitting next to him.

"Yeah."

"What do you do?" He questioned, and Justin could see the genuine interest.

"I'm a graphic editor at GQ magazine."

"Cool. So you must of went to school for that?"

"Yeah, I did. I just recently graduated from the University of Memphis," He nodded.

"You must be pretty young then," JC observed, recalling how old he was when he graduated.

"I'm 23," Justin replied, searching JC's eyes for any sign of disapproval or shock, but he saw none.

"28," JC offered, wanting to be completely honest with Justin. The slightly younger male smiled, conveying that he had no issue with the 5 year age difference. "I went to NYU. I majored in business and minored in theatre," JC explained, and saw Justin's bright blue eyes soften.

"That's awesome. So you - like - work for your family's company?" Justin asked, pleasantly surprised to see that JC wasn't the typical rich man. He actually put in work and didn't just sit around and let everything be handed to him.

"I handle a lot of the deals with cities and trying to find out where to put Chasez Bank locations. It's cool. I didn't want to just be that rich kid who sat on their ass and got everything handed to them," JC explained, and then continued. "So, this job at GQ. Is that what you've always wanted to do?"

"No, not really. It's a great start, and I'm so thankful I have the job, but being a senior editor and getting the real say in the top magazines, that's the goal," Justin said, nodding.

"You'll get there. You said you just started?"

"4 months ago, yeah. The friend that I was at the club with tonight - Chris - he's the head of recruitment at GQ. He saw my work and reached out to me a couple of times, but at first I wasn't ready to leave Memphis. I wanted to stay and be with my mom because I knew she wasn't in the greatest position. But then she uhm… she timed out, and after that - I couldn't stay in Memphis. I contacted Chris and asked if the job was still available and he flew me out the next day," Justin explained, looking down. He didn't expect to share so much personal information with a man he just met, but something about it just felt right. He felt like he'd known JC all his life. Slowly, JC gently brought his hand up to Justin's chin, lifting it so their eyes were connecting.

"I'm so sorry you went through that," He whispered, the sincere sympathy glistening on his tan skin. Justin felt his heart flutter and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to calm his nerves. He'd never been one to believe in love at first sight, but how he was feeling towards the absolutely stunning man who sat before him, he abandoned his initial belief. This couldn't be anything except love at first sight.

"JC -" He started, only to be interrupted.

"Josh," The older man whispered, causing Justin's eyes to softly open in confusion. "Call me Josh. JC is a nick name," He said, knowing he typically didn't let anyone that wasn't extremely close to him call him by his given name, but he felt an instant connection to Justin.

"Josh…," Justin spoke, and JC moved his hand to caress Justin's two pairs of crystal blue orbs met one another, each shining with desperation and belonging. Slowly, JC leaned in, pressing his lips to the younger males, Justin's lips instinctively parting, his hands coming wrapping around JC's neck. Josh deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around Justin's waist and pulling him into his lap, placing his hands firmly on his waist. Slowly, JC pulled away, breathing heavily and staring into Justin's glistening eyes, clearly begging for more.

"We don't have to do this, Justin. I - I don't want you thinking I'm taking advantage of you," He spoke, feeling his heart flutter. Sure, when he initially saw Justin, he was so blinded by his beauty and couldn't think of anything that he wanted to do more than take him home. But as they talked, JC truly felt that they could be more than just sexual partners.

"I wouldn't be here if I thought you were taking advantage of me," The 23 year old whispered.

"Okay," JC smiled, kissing Justin once again and putting his hands on his ass, lifting him up and carrying him up the long, marble staircase. When they reached the master bedroom, Justin broke the kiss and turned his head, looking at the king sized bed and the black, silky comforter that laid on top. "You sure you're okay with this?" He asked once more.

"Just shut up, Josh," Justin spoke, with a smirk that JC returned.

"I think I like you, Justin Timberlake," He spoke, before throwing Justin onto the bed.

—------------------------------------

It was the next morning, and JC stood in front of his mirror, combing through his raven hair and adjusting the collar of his navy blue dress shirt. He smiled as he looked back to his bed, seeing Justin still peacefully sleeping, his arms hugging the satin pillow. His admiration for the man was interrupted when he heard the shrill of a ringing cell phone, and sighed loudly, noting the noise was coming from the pocket of Justin's jeans again. It was the 4th or 5th time someone was trying to reach the 23 year old, and Josh couldn't help his frustration. Why didn't they get the hint that he was busy? Could they not just let him sleep? Rolling his eyes, JC made his way to the denim that laid absently on the floor, picking the phone out of the back pocket just as it stopped ringing. He then kneeled down beside Justin's face, gently placing a hand on his back.

"Hey," He whispered, chuckling when he didn't get a response. "Justin," He spoke louder, beginning to rub his thumb up the younger male's bare back. Slowly, Justin's blue eyes fluttered open, instantly lighting up at the sight of JC.

"Hi," He said, his voice groggy with sleep as he brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes.

"Someone's been calling you non-stop for the past hour. I was trying to ignore it and let you sleep, but apparently they don't understand the virtue of patience," JC chuckled, handing Justin his phone as he sat up, his back resting against the headboard. As Justin opened his phone to check his missed calls, Josh couldn't help but admire his chizzled, tan chest, and had to stop himself from staring.

"It's Chris. I probably should call him back," The Memphis native said, and JC nodded.

"Okay. I'll go start breakfast," He replied, and Justin smirked.

"You mean you'll go tell the chef to start breakfast?" Justin teased.

"Isn't that what I said?" Josh chuckled, instinctively leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Justin's forehead, smiling brightly when he saw the younger man blush in his peripheral vision as he exited the room. Justin attempted to calm his nerves down as he dialled Chris' number, placing the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" His best friend greeted.

"Hey, man," Justin replied.

"Oh! It's alive!" Chris exclaimed, and Justin slightly laughed.

"Look, I know you're old and your thing is to get up early, but it's not mine," The younger teased back, rubbing his face once more.

"Especially after a good night of fucking."

"Christopher!" Justin exclaimed, the rosy feeling in his cheeks returning.

"Come on, J! Don't act like that's not where you went. I'm not an idiot. So just man up and tell me how it was," He responded.

"Fine. It was the best sex I've ever had. Are you happy now?" Justin quickly replied.

"And you're still at the guy's place now? None of you took off before the other woke up?" He questioned, the slightly protectiveness of his best friend shining through.

"Yes, Dad, I'm still here."

"It really must have been good then… Oh! Don't forget you're starting that project for the spring edition tomorrow morning," The 33 year old reminded him, turning the conversation serious.

"Yeah, I'll be there," He sighed, knowing how much pressure the upcoming project was. It was the first time GQ had let him lead a major project, and he wanted to make a good first impression. He wanted the magazine to be perfect.

"Okay. Have fun and try not to get pregnant."

"Bye Chris," Justin laughed, shaking his head as he hung up the phone. He slowly tore the warm covers off his body, and noticed a pile of neatly folded clothes on the dark brown, wooden dresser. Raising an eyebrow, Justin got out of the bed and saw a white Calvin Klein t-shirt, and black Adidas track pants, a note placed on top.

"Justin,

I didn't want you to be stuck with the clothes you wore last night."

It simply said, and damn, there was that blush again. He took the clothes into his hands and made his way into the bathroom, pulling his boxers, the shirt and the pants on, smiling when they fit almost perfectly. He then brushed his teeth and ran his hand absentmindedly through his light brown curls, somewhat satisfied with his reflection as he made his way out of the room and down the staircase. He smiled, watching JC tip the pot of coffee into a second mug, placing both on the table.

"Hey," Josh smiled, noticing Justin was wearing the clothes he got him. "You look great."

"You didn't have to do that you know," The 23 year old said, but he couldn't help the smile from coming to his face as he walked towards the table.

"I know. But it's Sunday. Couldn't have you walking around in a dress shirt and pants, especially after what we did," Josh spoke, and Justin chuckled, sitting down across the table from JC and looking at the extravagant meal that sat in front of him. He took a sip of his coffee, his eyes focused on JC. "Chris calling to make sure I didn't murder you?"

"Basically. And to remind me about a project I'm starting at work tomorrow," He responded, looking down at the Eggs Benedict on his plate and bringing it to his mouth. JC nodded, following suite with his food.

"You ready for it?"

"Kind of. It's the first time GQ's ever let me lead a project so I'm nervous," Justin admitted.

"You'll do great. Do you have an idea what you want to do yet?" He questioned, generally interested in Justin's life.

"Not really. I was hoping to get a really cool photo shoot in for like the newest spring trends but - wait a minute," The younger male stopped mid-sentence, getting an idea. "What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked.

"I have a meeting at 3 with some company my father's trying to buy. Why, what's up?" The raven-haired man questioned.

"I - uhm - well - a lot of people know you, I'd assume. Chris knew of you, and trust me, he doesn't know about anyone. So, I was thinking. If you were willing to maybe do a photo shoot for the issue?" Justin asked, looking down and nervously fiddling with his fingers. Smiling, JC reached across the table and put his hand on top of Justin's.

"Yeah, I'll do it," He said, and Justin looked up to meet his eyes.

"You will?"

"Of course," Josh whispered. The two ate their breakfast, the conversation about their lives flowing naturally. As Justin laughed at a story JC told from his teenage years, he couldn't help but notice: he hadn't checked his time once, and it felt great.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shouldn't I be the one that's nervous?" JC asked with a chuckle, as he watched Justin fiddle with the cuff of his dark blue dress shirt and brown tie for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I'm not nervous," Justin tried to play off, but didn't even believe himself. He led JC to the elevator of GQ's office, pressing the up button. As they waited for the elevator to reach the lobby, Josh gently put his hands on Justin's shoulders, turning him so they were face to face.

"You're going to do fine. Relax," He gently spoke, before looking down at the sleeve of Justin's arm. "Just make sure you keep your time covered. We don't want to look suspicious."

"Right, because the newbie randomly getting one of the richest people in New York to do a photo shoot isn't suspicious," The 23 year old laughed as the elevator dinged, and the steel metal doors opened. JC shrugged, stepping into the elevator and adjusting his own tie.

"I've seen stranger things," He said, watching as Justin pushed the number 17. Justin couldn't help but feel his heart flutter every time he realized how close he and JC were standing, and how much he felt like a teenager with a stupid crush. Sure, Justin wasn't lying when he said sex with JC was the best he'd ever had, but maybe that's all it was to Josh. Maybe him asking about his life and giving him clothes was his way of being polite. Maybe it was a rich thing. Oh god, was he overthinking everything? "Would you stop that?" Josh whispered into his ear, shaking the young man out of his thoughts.

"Stop what?" Justin questioned, turning to look at JC, confusion evident in his crystal blue eyes.

"Worrying so much."

"I'm sorry. I just - I never asked how much you wanted to be paid? How much do people get paid for photo shoots? 10 years? Or is that not enough? Fuck, maybe I'm not cut out for th-" Justin began to ramble out loud, and Josh shut him up by pressing his lips firmly against Justin's, backing him into the wall of the elevator. As they pulled away, Justin looked up at the man before him, dumbfounded. "Oh," He said, just as the elevator dinged. JC chuckled, placing a hand on his lower back, leading him out of the small space. Justin walked to his isolated office, putting his bag down on his desk and opening the window.

"Nice," Josh spoke politely, looking around the neatly decorated room. He smiled softly, seeing pictures of Justin with friends and family on the shelf near his computer. Justin was very minimalistic, JC observed, his only decorations pictures enclosed in dark brown wood frames, and a jar with pencils and pens, the same wooden tint.

"Hey, I thought I saw you walk - oh," Chris bursted into his friend's office, stopping mid-sentence when he saw JC. He turned back to Justin, a small smirk coming to his face when he saw his younger friend blushing. "Justin, why the hell is JC Chasez in your office?"

"Remember that whole, 'I'll explain later' thing before I left you last night? Yeah, it's later," He sheepishly spoke.

"You went home with JC Chasez? You had the best sex of your life with JC Chasez?" The older man questioned, shock on his face.

"Okay, thank you, Chris. I get it. I'm poor as fuck," Justin huffed.

"Were," JC spoke up for the first time, and Chris looked as if everything was finally making sense.

"That's where you got the 100 years!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, Detective Kirkpatrick. That's where I got the 100 years. Say it a little louder though, please. I don't think the entire floor heard you," Justin scoffed, beginning to empty his bag and placing the various paperwork he had for the upcoming project on his table.

"Sorry," Chris mumbled.

"It's cool, CK," The younger smiled at his friend and then at Josh, when he wrapped an arm around his waist. Chris looked at the two, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you sure this was just a hook up? You guys look like you're a little more than fuck buddies?" He asked, and there was Justin's blush again. JC chuckled.

"I'd like to be a little more than that. Justin's not like anyone I've ever met before," The raven haired male said.

"Tell me about it," Chris scoffed, teasing his best friend. "Britney'll be here soon."

"Great," Justin responded.

"Alright, J, I gotta head to the writers. I'll see you later."

"See ya at lunch?" The younger questioned, and Chris smiled.

"You bet. It was nice to meet you, JC," He said, seeing his hand still snaked around his best friend's waist.

"You too, Chris," JC responded, watching as the older man left the office before turning to Justin. "Britney?"

"The photographer," Justin replied simply, and JC nodded.

"Got it," The older man replied, and soon, a tall, blonde women knocked on Justin's opened door.

"Hi Mr. Timberlake," She spoke, still standing in the doorway. Justin smiled, walking towards her and shaking her hand.

"Call me Justin," He said politely.

"I got your email about starting a photo shoot today," The female said, and Justin nodded.

"Yeah. As you know, I'm the lead editor for the spring edition and I was hoping to do a photo shoot with the newest trends and stuff. So, I asked if JC would be willing to be in it," He said, bringing attention to the man standing next to him. Britney's brown eyes shifted, and when they landed on JC, they widened.

"Oh my God, you're JC Chasez," She spoke, star-struck. JC laughed, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Britney," Josh spoke.

"How did you get JC to be part of the shoot? We've been trying for so long," She questioned.

"An old friend," Justin shrugged, not wanting to share every detail of his sexual life with everyone.

"I'm sure HR would like to hear about that. This is going to be an awesome edition, Justin," She said, her smile displaying her perfectly whitened teeth. "I booked the studio for us and called the stylist. I wasn't sure if you had a male or female model, so there's clothes for both there," She told him.

"Okay. You ready?" Justin asked, turning in JC's grasp and looking at him.

"Yeah," He replied, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the 23 year old's forehead. Justin blushed once more, figuring if JC didn't stop being so sweet, his cheeks would be permanently red. Britney looked on with curious eyes, but decided not to say anything. She didn't know Justin and only knew he was the new graphic editor, maybe he let all his friends kiss him on the head. Whether he did or not, it was none of her business. But she had to admit, damn, they looked good together.

—

Justin bit his lip and tried to suppress a moan as he watched Josh pose for the camera, watching Britney praise him and exclaim that he was a natural. The 23 year old crossed his arms, unable to rip his eyes off of the man, not even aware he was staring. JC felt someone's eyes on him, and turned to look at Justin, winking when they made eye contact.

"Alright, JC. Let's break for 15 minutes so I can check these shots," She announced.

"Okay, perfect," He smiled, unbuttoning the white blazer he was wearing. He noticed Justin was still standing in the exact same position, his eyes still locked on the older man. Josh slowly walked towards Justin, stopping in front of him. "Hey," He said, a slight smirk on his face.

"Hi," Justin replied.

"Is your vision for this issue coming to life?" He questioned.

"I mean - yeah - you look great. I mean, this issue's going to be great - and - you look great too," He stammered, and JC chuckled.

"Thanks. I think you look great too, Justin," JC softly said, placing his hands on his waist.

"I'm just - I'm in the same thing."

"Yeah, I know," The 28 year old said. "I think I know how you can pay me for this photoshoot."

"Oh," Justin spoke, reaching to his sleeve and pulling it up, ready to give JC the time he requested. However, he felt the older man's hand gently pull his sleeve back down.

"I don't want time," He softly said.

"Then how do I pay you?"

"Go on a date with me," Josh said, and yep. There was going to be a permanent blush on Justin's face.

"Okay," He practically exclaimed, and JC chuckled.

"Okay. So - you wanna give me your number?"

"Shit, yeah," Justin fumbled, looking around for a piece of paper and pen. JC watched amusingly, gratefully taking the paper when the younger handed it to him. Britney walked over to the pair, smiling softly when she saw how content the two were with each other.

"You ready to continue, JC?" The blonde questioned.

"Yeah. I'm ready," Josh smiled, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to Justin's cheek before heading back to the set. Britney turned to look at Justin, trying to stop her heart from racing a mile a minute. Justin was cute, but it was clear in some way or another, he was involved with JC. And hell, she'd just met him. She knew nothing about him. Was he bisexual, or was he gay? Why did she care? Sighing, she pulled the sleeve to her tan cardigan up, watching the seconds tick by. It'd taken her 3 years at GQ, but she finally felt comfortable with the amount of time she had. 10 years was safe. 10 years should have made her happy enough to mind her own business and not wonder how JC and Justin knew each other. But she couldn't help it.

—-

"Thanks again for doing this," Justin said as he skimmed over his tasks he needed to complete after lunch. JC adjusted the cuff on his black blazer, checking the clock once more. 2:30pm. He knew he needed to leave in order to be in time for his meeting, but he couldn't help but want to stay near Justin. He was completely infatuated with the man.

"It was no problem," He smiled. "I better get going."

"Yeah. I'll walk you out," The Memphis native softly smiled, his eyes never leaving Josh's until he was in front of him, leading the way to the elevator. Chris noticed the two walking by, and smirked at the look on Justin's face. His best friend was head over heels in love with JC Chasez. The JC Chasez. Soon, the pair made their way out of the elevator when it reached the lobby, and JC looked at the black SUV awaiting him, turning to Justin.

"So…" He started.

"So. I'm going to see you again, right?" He questioned, trying as best as he could to hide the desperation from his voice.

"Of course you're going to see me again. I wouldn't have showed up to your job if all I wanted was a quick fuck," JC chuckled, placing his hands on Justin's hips and pulling him closer to him.

"You'll call me?"

"Yes, Justin. I'll call you. Didn't we already have this talk about you worrying so much?"

"Sorry. It's just - I like you, Josh. I - I think this could really go somewhere," He breathed, trying to avoid eye contact by looking down at his brown dress shoes. However, Josh moved his hand from Justin's hip, guiding it until it was under his chin, lifting it so their eyes met.

"I like you too, Justin. I know this could go somewhere. I'll call you, okay? I promise."

"I'll be waiting by the phone."

"I'm sure you will," JC chuckled, pressing a gentle kiss to the 23 year old's forehead before slowly turning away and smiling at the driver that held the backseat door open for him. As the car pulled away, Justin focused on trying to get the butterflies out of his stomach.

"Leave it to me to fall in love with the richest man in New York," He thought to himself, not tearing his eyes from the SUV until it turned at an intersection, completing leaving his vision.


	4. Chapter 4

Chris smirked as he walked out of the revolving doors of the GQ office, noticing Justin still staring in the direction of a busy street, no doubt where JC's car had just disappeared from. "You know, staring where his car used to be won't bring him back," Chris spoke, causing Justin to jump and turn around, clearly wrapped up in his thoughts.

"What the fuck, man?! You scared the shit out of me!" Justin gasped, breathing heavily and placing a hand on his heart.

"I was wondering what was taking you so long to say goodbye to JC. I didn't know the dirty streets of New York were that interesting to you," The elder teased, and instantly noticed Justin trying to calm his heart rate, the mere thought of Joshua exciting him.

"He just left."

"Yeah, I'm sure he did," Chris chuckled, before wrapping an arm around the younger's shoulder. "Come on, lover boy. Let's go grab some lunch," He said, leading his best friend back into the building and up to their floor. They typically ate in Justin's office, as it was isolated from the rest of the floor and allowed the two to talk about things they didn't want their coworkers knowing. Justin opened the window and smiled as he pulled out the prepackaged caesar salad he'd bought several days ago, watching as Chris ate what he did every day. A slice of pepperoni deep dish pizza. The sight made Justin smile. It made him feel calm that despite the huge changes that appeared to be happening in his life, he had consistency when Chris ate the same lunch. He unwrapped the plastic fork that came with the salad and opened the lid, immediately working on pushing the croutons aside. "You're such a freak, you know that? Croutons are the best part of a salad," Chris spoke.

"Of course you would say that. They're the most fattening," Justin chuckled, slowly bringing a piece of lettuce and bacon to his mouth and chewing.

"So. You and JC, huh?"

"Me and JC what?" Justin questioned. He knew the subject was going to come up eventually, but he didn't expect it to happen 10 minutes after JC left.

"Come on, J. You guys act like you've been dating for a year but you just met and fucked last night," Chris pointed out, and Justin slightly winced, which only furthered Chris' point.

"Look. Yes, we met last night, and yes we had sex," He emphasized the word. "But something about him is different. This wasn't just a one night stand, Chris. We both think this could go somewhere and he… he asked me on a date," Justin shrugged, looking down at his food to try to hide the reddening of his cheeks.

"So you guys really like each other then?" The 33 year old questioned, unable to keep the small smile from coming to his face. Justin deserved to be happy.

"Yeah - well - I mean - I like him. I mean - I think he likes me too. He wouldn't ask me out if he didn't right? But - maybe he wants -"

"J," Chris tried with a chuckle, knowing his best friend was thinking too much.

"Maybe he just wants someone to stick around that doesn't know who he is. Maybe he's worried someone's after his time so -"

"Justin."

"Oh God, maybe I'm a scapegoat!"

"JUSTIN!" Chris yelled, and finally, the 23 year old's head whipped to him, confusion in his crystal blue eyes.

"What?" He innocently asked.

"You're rambling. And you're overthinking this. JC isn't some god. Sure, he's got enough time to own this entire fucking country, but I seriously don't think if he thought of you as a scapegoat he'd agree to show up at your job. Where you work with your best friend."

"That's what Josh said," Justin mumbled, beginning to pick at his salad once again.

"Josh?" Chris asked, confused. "Who the hell is Josh?"

"That's um - that's JC's real name," He responded, not looking up.

"And the fact that he's letting you call him by his real name rather than his nickname. You're still questioning if he likes you?"

"Okay, I get it. I'm being stupid."

"You said it, not me," Chris chuckled, before the two fell into a comfortable silence. Several moments later, there was a knock on his door, and Britney peered into the room.

"Hey Britney, what's up?" Justin questioned, a polite smile on his face.

"I um - I was just coming to show you some of the final shots from today, if that's okay," She said, her camera slung around her neck.

"Yeah, of course," He replied, and as the bright smile came onto her face, Chris couldn't help but notice her eyes never once left Justin's face. She didn't even realize Chris was in the room.

"Here, you can have my chair," Chris offered, standing up and pushing the chair towards her. She jumped as she gasped, only confirming to Chris that she was only focused on Justin.

"S - sorry. I didn't see you there," The blonde spoke, the red flushing to her perfectly tanned cheeks.

"It's okay. Nobody usually does when I'm around Justin," Chris teased, but Britney looked horrified.

"No! It's not that! It's just -"

"It's okay, Britney. I'm kidding."

"Oh… right," She laughed, pushing her long blonde hair behind her ears before looking back up at Chris. "You can come look at the pictures too," She said, and Chris smiled, walking over and standing behind her. She pulled out her camera and turned it on, before searching for the folder she created earlier that day. Once she located it, she began to sift through the pictures absentmindedly, turning to watch Justin's reaction to each shot, her heart fluttering. There was no reason for her to think anything though, and Justin couldn't help the smile from coming to his face with each picture, his eyes twinkling with admiration. Chris just looked on at the both of them and laughed, the situation all too like a shitty soap opera.

"These all look great," Justin said, and he was pretty confident it was because JC looked hot in every single one of them. And when your model looked hot, shitty lighting or an awkward pose didn't matter. Britney nodded, trying her best to avoid eye contact with him.

"Do you know which one you want to use for the cover?"

"I'm thinking the one with the white dress shirt and black tie, and the jacket draped over his shoulders," Justin said, and Chris had to chuckle at how quickly the answer came to his best friend. Justin shot him a knowing glare.

"That was fast," Britney pointed out.

"I'm good at what I do," Justin shrugged an excuse, and this time, Chris laughed out loud.

"Yeah, that's it," He teased, and there was that glare again. Britney smiled softly, before finally meeting Justin's soft blue eyes. She was proud that her heart only stopped for 2 seconds, compared to the previous 4 seconds.

"I think that's a good choice. I'll send it to the editors so they can get started and I'll send you all the rough shots," She said, closing her camera and standing up.

"Thanks. I'll email you and we can decide the pictures for the full page spread."

"Okay," She said, making her way to the door. She put her hand on the handle, but took a deep breath, stopping herself to turn around and look at her newest coworker. "Justin?"

"Yeah?" The Memphis native responded, lifting his head to make eye contact with her.

"I - I know this is none of my business but… are you dating JC?" She questioned and wow, way to be subtle, Britney. Justin didn't look offended at all though, and offered her a polite smile.

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure what we are. I know we like each other, but you never know," He shrugged, and she nodded.

"Well… you guys look cute together," She offered, trying her best to act like her heart didn't somewhat feel hurt.

"Thanks," Justin smiled. "I'll see you later, Britney."

"Yeah. See you later," She responded, opening the handle and closing the door behind her. Chris made sure she was out of sight before turning to his best friend.

"Dude," He said, sitting on Justin's desk and facing him.

"What?"

"You know she asked if you and JC were together because she has a crush on you… right? Like you're not that blind?"

"She doesn't have a crush on me," Justin said with a laugh, turning to his computer and beginning to reply to some of his emails.

"Are you kidding me? That entire time you were looking at the pictures she took? Yeah, she was looking at you," Chris informed him, and Justin sighed, stopping his typing and turning to him.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck. I mean, she's nice and all, but she's - she's just not my type," Justin softly said. He could defiantly see him and the blonde being good friends, but if she did in fact have a crush on him, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"You mean she's a girl," Chris added in.

"You could say that," Justin shrugged.

"I just did. Or - she's not JC."

"I guess you could say that too," Justin responded, and hey, at least he was being honest. Chris chuckled before he looked at the clock, realizing their lunch break was nearly over.

"Alright, J. I got a meeting with a possible senior editor. So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Chris said, and Justin couldn't help but frown. Chris didn't know that was Justin's dream job, and Justin didn't plan on mentioning it to him. He was grateful that he had any job at all, and he didn't want to make it seem like he wasn't thankful.

"See you," He smiled small, turning to his desk an going to check his emails. He silently hoped Britney had emailed him the pictures of JC, purely to admire the man. 'You've lost it, Timberlake,' Justin thought to himself. It was so unlike him to have his thoughts consumed by someone he'd just met, but he couldn't take his mind off JC. Off the night they spent together. Off how JC was so sweet and caring for him. Off how the older man had left merely a few hours ago, yet Justin missed him and couldn't want to see him again. Yeah, he was in love.

—-

Justin returned to his apartment after his shift, placing his bag on the chair of the kitchen island, and opening the fridge, searching for what he could throw together for dinner. It was late, and after an eventful day, all he wanted to do was grab something quick to eat and go to bed. He smiled, seeing bread on the bottom shelf and deciding that making a sandwich was about as much energy as he could master. He pulled out his bread, peanut butter and a knife, spreading the creamy substance lazily before putting his ingredients away and walking to the couch with his sandwich. Justin quickly ate and watched the news on his TV, before laying down on his couch and resting his arm behind his head. He didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing he knew, he was being woken up by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and sat up, before picking up the phone and squinting when the bright light of he screen met his newly awoken eyes. Sighing, he pressed accept and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered, his voice still full of sleep.

"Hey," The smooth voice responded on the other end, and instantly, Justin was awake.

"Oh, hey Josh."

"Told you I'd call," He said, a slight smirk on his face.

"I'm glad you kept you promise," Justin replied, unable to suppress the yawn from escaping his lips.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," The older man spoke, instantly recognizing Justin's newly awakened voice.

"No, no. That's okay. I don't even remember falling asleep," He chuckled, running a hand down his face. "One minute you're eating a peanut butter sandwich and the next you're passed out."

Josh laughed softly before replying, "Sounds like quite the evening. I was going to invite you for drinks on your next day off, but why would you pass up a peanut butter sandwich and sleeping?"

"Dude, so not cool to tease," Justin laughed, but couldn't help his heart from fluttering.

"Yeah, yeah. So, when am I going to see you?"

"I'm off Thursday."


	5. Chapter 5

It was several days later, and JC was at lunch with his college roommate and best friend, Joey Fatone. Joey took a bite of the decadent food laid out in front of them, looking at his friend. "So, how did that meeting go?" He questioned.

"Pretty good. They gave me the whole speech about how they were hesitant to partner with Chasez Banks but that all changed when we started talking numbers," JC chuckled, taking a long sip of his red wine.

"I'm not surprised. Have you told your dad?" Joey asked.

"Nah. You know my parents like to throw their little get togethers so I was just gonna wait for that," JC shrugged.

"You call those little get togethers? Jayce, there's usually like 100 people there," Joey laughed. JC typically brought his best friend to the gatherings with him, getting tired of fake smiling and having small talk with his parents' rich friends alone. Joey didn't mind, though. He didn't come from as wealthy of a family as JC did, and he was always amazed to see just how extravagant a Chasez party was. "Will I be oh so lucky to be your plus one again?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows, causing his friend to laugh.

"Yeah, you can come. But I was going to invite Justin too," He responded.

"Justin? Who the hell is Justin?" Joey questioned, wondering where the name had come from. He and JC had known each other since college, he was pretty sure he would know if JC knew a Justin.

"Just some guy I met," JC shrugged, trying to play it cool. But by the look of amusement on Joey's face, he wasn't buying it.

"Yeah? And you just invite some random guy you just met to a family event?"

"Okay, so I might have took him home with me," Josh continued.

"And there it is," Joey laughed. "Something different about this one night stand though? I mean - if you invited every one of your hook ups to a party… shit man."

"Shut the fuck up, Joe," JC chuckled. "Yes there's something different about him. I went with him to work the next day," He explained.

"You mean to tell me I missed 'take your best fuck to work day?!'" Joey teased, and when he saw JC's glare, he turned serious. "Feisty. Now why would you show up at the man's work?"

"He works at GQ and needed someone to be on the cover for the spring issue. I told him I'd do it," Josh shrugged, bringing his glass to his lips once more, grateful when the cool liquid slid down his throat.

"GQ huh? So he must have a lot of time then?"

"Not really. He just moved here from Memphis. Both his parents timed out and so he came out here to start a new life," He explained, and noticed Joey's face soften.

"Shit, that's rough…" He sighed.

"Yeah, especially when you're 23 and you just graduated college."

"I hate hearing stuff like that, man. Makes me feel guilty that I have time just because I have a rich friend," Joey sighed, pulling up the sleeve of his grey long sleeve shirt, revealing the 50 years on his arm.

"I know, trust me. I gave him some time though," He said, and Joey nodded.

"I don't mean to offend you or bring the mood down in any way… but how do you know he didn't just fuck you for your time?" Joey questioned, and JC smiled small. He was grateful his best friend was looking out for him.

"No, I get it. Like I said, he just moved here. He had no idea who the hell I was, and he sure as hell didn't ask me for anything the morning after," JC shrugged, lowering his eyes to his glass once more.

"You really like this kid, don't you?" The Italian asked.

"Yeah, I do," He admitted, his heart fluttering at the mere thought of Justin.

"So, when am I going to meet him?"

"Oh no. I'm not having you scare him off," JC quickly responded, shaking his head. He loved Joey. He really did. But his best friend didn't exactly have the best track record of making him look good in front of potential boyfriends.

"Come on, C…," Joey whined.

"Absolutely not," JC asserted.

"But what if he comes to your family event?"

"Then I'll keep him away from you and warn him to not have more than a 2 minute conversation with you."

"That's cold, Chasez," Joey pouted, and JC couldn't help but allow the smile to spread across his smooth features.

"Come on, Joe. I'm just fucking with you. I asked him to have drinks with me on Thursday and I was thinking about asking him if he wanted to see if his friend Chris wanted to join to make him more comfortable. You should come too," The 28 year old spoke, finishing the last of his wine. Joey groaned, running his hands through his spiky hair.

"So basically, you want this Chris dude and I to chaperone you two?"

"No, if Justin's bringing his best friend to make him more comfortable, I'm going to bring mine," He replied, and Joey sighed.

"Fine," The Italian breathed, knowing he'd pretty much do anything for JC, after the slightly older man had given him so much.

"Thanks, Joe," Josh smiled.

"You're lucky I love you, Chasez."

—

"Would you stop pacing? You're going to make me dizzy before I even get a drink in me," Chris said to his best friend, watching as Justin walked back and forth in his small hallway for what seemed like the 18th time. He knew the 23 year old was nervous, even if he didn't want to straight up admit it. Justin was quickly falling for JC, and wanted nothing more than for the older man to reciprocate the feelings.

"I'm sorry. It's just - are you sure I look okay?" Justin asked, adjusting the sleeves of his long, wool jacket once more before running his hands through his increasingly curly hair. "Damn it. The curls are coming back. I should've gotten a haircut," He pouted.

"Jesus Christ, J. Take a Xanax or something. You've been on dates before. Why are you so nervous about this one?" Chris questioned, and finally, Justin stopped pacing, his crystal blue eyes shining as they met Chris' "Oh no."

"Oh no, what?" Justin innocently asked.

"You love him, don't you?" The 33 year old asked, catching Justin off guard. He tried to reply, tried to come up with a quick defence, but his brain wasn't thinking fast enough. He wanted to scream from the tallest building that he loved Josh, but Justin was scared. He'd never fallen in love with someone so fast, and he didn't want to scare Josh away. He'd only known him for about a week. Sighing, Justin walked to the couch in his living room, sitting down and resting his head in his hands.

"What am I going to do? I don't want to scare him away," Justin voiced his thoughts. Chris smiled small, sitting next to his best friend and placing an arm around his shoulder.

"Trust me, Just, I don't think you're going to scare him away. You should've seen the way he was looking at you at work…. and I've seen JC Chasez around a lot. He isn't into the whole PDA thing. So the fact that he took you home in a packed night club. It says something," The elder comforted, trying to calm his friend's nerves. "Just be yourself, Justin. He told you he liked you. Let him set the pace so you don't have to worry about moving too fast."

"Thanks, Chris," The Memphis native spoke, pulling his head out of his hands.

"Just don't go crazy with the whole PDA thing. I'd really rather not see you getting your freak on in public," He teased, and Justin laughed. It was times like this where he was thankful he moved to New York, despite the negative circumstances that had brought him there. Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Justin jumped up, smoothing out his jacket and black dress shirt, taking a deep breath before he walked to the door and slowly opened it. When he did, his breath caught in his throat. Josh looked absolutely stunning. His raven hair was gently tosseled, and he wore a leather jacket, with a plain white v-neck t-shirt underneath, with dark washed jeans. Justin had to stop his racing heart, clearing his throat.

"Hi," He said, and JC flashed a smile, displaying his perfect teeth. 'Not like anything isn't perfect," Justin spoke to himself.

"Hey," Josh responded, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Justin's cheek, leaving the younger man dizzy. When Josh pulled away, he chuckled. "So, are we just going to stand in the doorway or?

"Shit, sorry. Come in," Justin breathed, snapping out of his thoughts and opening the door further, allowing JC, and who he assumed was Joey, to walk into the entrance of his apartment.

"Nice place," JC commented, searching the moderately sized area, before turning to Justin and looking him up and down, stepping towards him and wrapping an arm around his waist. "Even nicer looking occupant," He breathed, and Justin felt his heart speed up once more as he breathed in JC's cologne and felt his warm breath on his face.

"Told you you'd have your hands all over him within the first ten minutes!" A deep voice called behind the pair, and JC sighed, turning along with Justin to face Joey.

"Justin, this is Joey," He said, watching as the younger outstretched his hand.

"Nice to meet you," He smiled politely, to which Joey returned.

"You too, Justin. I've heard quite a bit about you," The Italian winked, and JC's blue orbs widened.

"Okay, that's enough!" He exclaimed, and tried to hide the blush that rushed to his cheeks by turning to Chris, but Justin saw it and smiled. "Nice to see you again, Chris."

"You too, JC," The eldest said, before turning to Joey with a nod. "Joey."

"Chris. Guess the two of us are going to get to know each other pretty well tonight, huh?"

"I guess so. I'm not sure how many drinks it'll take to tolerate the little love fest, but we'll find out," Chris teased.

"Hey, if JC's paying, I'm always up for the 'drink until you can't see straight' challenge," Joey replied, and Chris laughed. At least JC's friend seemed cool.

"True," He replied. Justin smiled as he watched the two interact, thankful he wasn't going to have to hear Chris whine about how awkward the night was. JC was rubbing a hand down his back, and snapped Justin out of his thoughts when he stopped.

"I was enjoying that," Justin spoke, looking up at JC with a pout. Josh chuckled, leaning forward and quickly kissing him.

"Don't worry. I'm sure they'll be plenty more of it. But my driver's waiting outside," He said, and Justin chuckled.

"I should have known."

The black SUV pulled up to the front entrance and the driver hopped out of his seat, opening the back door and nodding as Joey and Chris crawled out first, followed by JC and Justin.

"Thank you, Kevin," JC smiled politely.

"Of course, Mr. Chasez. Have a nice night," The elder gentleman replied. Josh turned to look at Justin, noticing him frowning at the entrance of the bar. The 28 year old stepped forward, taking Justin's hand within his own.

"What's the matter?" He questioned, and Justin turned to him.

"This is a rich people bar… isn't it?" The Memphis native shamefully asked, taking in the bright neon lights and suited bartenders. Justin knew Josh had given him time, knew he could afford drinks. But he wasn't used to being able to have enough time to purchase as much alcohol as his system could handle, and he knew he'd feel guilty about spending it stupidly when his mother had worked so hard just to afford microwavable dinners. Josh chuckled, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss just above Justin's ear.

"No baby," He replied, and Justin's heart fluttered with happiness. He quickly decided that Josh calling him baby was the hottest thing he'd ever heard, and he prayed it wouldn't be the last time he was called that. "Sure, it's up there in price. But I know the owner. His name is Tony Lucca, we go way back. He never makes me pay for drinks. You didn't really think I'd take you to the most expensive bar in New York and expect you and Chris to pay for your own drinks, right?"

"Hey! What about me?!" Joey exclaimed from the spot he and Chris stood, just in front of the pair.

"You still owe Tony time for when you broke the stripper pole," Josh replied, and Joey gasped.

"JC!" He horrifiedly screamed, causing his best friend, along with Justin and Chris to laugh.

"Oh, this is a story I need to hear," The eldest of the group said, a smirk plastered on his face. If he was going to spend the majority of his night with Joey, he was going to need to have something to tease him about.

"No, you really don't," Joey replied, turning to Josh with a glare, daring him to open his mouth.

"I'd like to hear it," Justin spoke up, and JC smiled, pecking the younger's lips once more.

"Sorry, Joe. How can I resist this face? Fatone here got absolutely wasted and didn't like when one of the strippers turned him down so he got in her face and yelled; hold on, just let me get into character," JC said, clearing his throat. "Babe, if you could be oh so kind as to play a stripper for this," He continued, and Justin chuckled, already used to Josh's terms of endearment.

"Sure," Justin replied, putting a hand on his hip for emphasis. JC turned to him, acting like he had no balance.

"Hey sugar. My best friend is JC Chasez," He slurred, and Joey smacked his hand across his face to hide his flush of embarrassment. Josh leaned forward and whispered something into Justin's ear, before getting back into character.

"Is that supposed to impress me? I have guys requesting to give me years as soon as I take one foot onto the stage," Justin replied, attempting to act as sassy as he imagined the girl did.

"You call that… pole… a stage?" Josh spat, imitating Joey's drunk laugh. "I could do what you do in my sleep," He finished, before breaking character. "And that's when Joey jumped onto her pole and broke it."

"I hate you, JC," Joey said, failing to hold his own laughter.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go in," JC laughed, taking Justin's hand within his own once more and leading him inside. Once they walked in, Justin stopped in his tracks, his blue eyes darting around the club, taking everything in. It wasn't like any type of club Justin had been to before. The music was still blaring, but instead of the typical bar and stools, there were only tables scattered around with stripper poles around, bartenders personally delivering your drinks.

"Hey, C!" Someone exclaimed, placing a hand on Josh's shoulder. When he turned to the voice, he smiled brightly, bringing the man into a hug.

"Hey Tony! Long time no see, man!" JC happily replied.

"Well, you know, we did have to renovate after Joey broke one of the poles," He teased, turning to Joey with a smirk.

"I'm sorry!" Joey exclaimed, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment once more.

"Hey man, it's cool," Tony smiled, finally noticing Justin and Chris. JC followed his friend's eyes, finally realizing he hadn't introduced them.

"Oh. This is Chris, and this is Justin," The raven haired male said, and Tony didn't miss the smile that tugged at his lips while saying the second name.

"This one your date?" He asked, nodding in Justin's direction, and JC blushed.

"That obvious, huh?"

"I know you well enough to recognize your 'I'm in love' look, C," Tony said, and Josh's eyes widened. He had to admit. He was really beginning to think that he was falling in love with Justin, but there was no way he was going to tell the 23 year old yet. He wanted to earn the younger's trust first, respecting what he had been through before scaring him away. He shifted his eyes to look at Justin's, and could have sworn he saw his crystal blue eyes shimmer, his entire face breaking into a smile, causing JC to inhale a relieved breath. When Tony saw JC relax, he laughed. "Come on, man. I'll take you to your usual table."


	6. Chapter 6

"So… he's wasted, right?" Joey questioned to Chris with a chuckle, pointing to Justin, who was sitting on JC's knee, pressing kisses to his neck sloppily.

"Oh yeah. He's gone," Chris replied, knowing a drunk Justin Timberlake when he saw it. Sober Justin would be way too shy to display any type of affection towards Josh in public, knowing Chris would tease him endlessly about it.

"Thank god Tony's not making us pay for any of the drinks then," The Italian responded with a chuckle, bringing his beer to his lips and taking a long sip.

"Oh, if he had to pay, he'd be totally sober. Justin's very picky about how much time he spends, even if JC gave him some," Chris spoke, knowing his best friend all too well.

"Jayce told me he didn't come from much."

"Yeah. I remember when he came in for his job interview, he had like 2 hours to his name. Spent all his time to come here. As soon as I saw that, I knew I had to help him. I'd been viewing his work for months prior and knew what he was capable of, so it wasn't like I didn't benefit from it," The elder shrugged, turning to look at JC and Justin once more and chuckling.

"'Nother tequila?" Justin questioned sloppily, his hands around JC's neck.

"I think you've had enough tequila for one night," The elder laughed, his hands around Justin's waist to steady him.

"Party pooper," Justin pouted.

"Trust me, you'll thank me in the morning."

"Just for stopping me from drinking?' The 23 year old seductively spoke.

"Maybe a little more than that," JC winked. Joey continued to watch the two with a smirk on his face, knowing his best friend was head over heels in love with Justin. JC might as well have worn a sign on his head declaring his love for the 23 year old, but Joey knew JC. Knew he would be too stubborn to admit that he loved Justin. He'd made that mistake before, and paid the price for it. And as Joey scanned the club, his eyes laid on the mistake. A figure walking towards JC and Justin. A figure Joey recognized instantly. Lance Bass. Lance and JC had dated for just over a year, and JC had put everything into the relationship, letting his guard down and truly believing he had something special. Lance was a family friend of the Chasez's, and although he came from wealth himself, it didn't stop him from taking almost all JC's time when JC finally broke things off. Even then, Lance wouldn't leave JC alone, the bitter, jealous ex-boyfriend role suiting him all too well. As the blonde made his way to JC and Justin in quick strides, Joey rushed to him, standing in his way.

"What do you want, Fatone?" Lance questioned annoyingly, stopping in his tracks.

"I want you to leave JC alone, Bass. The same thing I've been wanting since he dumped your ass," The Italian spat, and Lance rolled his eyes, looking over Joey's shoulder at the pair once again.

"He really has lowered his standards, huh?" Lance scoffed with a smirk, causing Joey to send him a death glare, stepping closer to the man before him.

"Leave them alone, Lance. I mean it," He growled.

"And what if I don't?" Lance threatened, sidestepping Joey and finally approaching JC and Justin. "Hey, Josh!" He exclaimed, watching as the two men jumped, JC's hands on Justin's waist being the only thing keeping the younger man tumbling to the floor.

"Lance? What the hell do you want?" JC asked, the anger already growing in his voice. Justin looked at JC and saw his jaw set, then turned to the blonde.

"Yeah, the hell do you want, Lance?" He slurred, figuring if Josh was mad at the man, he should be too.

"No one asked you to talk," Lance snapped, turning to the younger man.

"Hey! You don't speak to him like that," JC said angrily, his blue eyes glaring directly into Lance's.

"Really? So this kid is my replacement? How much are his parents paying you to babysit him?" The blonde smirked, and instantly saw the younger of the two wince, letting Lance know that he'd hit a nerve. JC felt Justin tense at the mention of his parents and let his anger fade for a quick moment, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his ear.

"It's okay, baby. I've got this," He whispered, his icy eyes never leaving his ex's. "He could be five years old and still be more mature than you ever were. But to answer your question, he's 23. Not like it's any of your business. You lost the right to know what's going on in my life a long time ago."

"Solid burn, Josh. Uncalled for, though. All I did was come over here to introduce myself to your new boy toy."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll tell him all about you," JC assured, his hand running up and down Justin's back.

"I'm sure you will… hey kid, I'm Lance," Lance spoke, turning to Justin, who had his head buried in Josh's neck.

"He doesn't give a fuck," Josh replied.

"Why don't you let the kid talk for himself?" Lance challenged.

"I'm not a kid!" Justin exclaimed, frustrated. He pulled his head from JC's shoulder, and turned to Lance. "I'm not a kid," He repeated.

"Well, I don't know your name," The blonde explained.

"Don't tell him your name," JC warned him gently.

"Dear god, Josh. Lighten the fuck up, I'm not here to cause any problems. I already told you. I'm here to introduce myself to your new boyfriend."

"I swear to god, Lance. If you don't leave us alone, my father will be hearing about this," He shot back, and Justin couldn't help but smile at the fact that Josh hadn't denied that he was his boyfriend.

"Fine. See ya, kid," Lance emphasized, walking away from the two with a smirk.

"I'm not a fucking kid!" Justin exclaimed again, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Sh. He's not worth it," Josh softly said, pressing a kiss to his temple.

"I'm not a kid," The 23 year old repeated, and JC chuckled, catching on that a drunk Justin liked to repeat things.

"I know, babe. You're not a kid. He's just an asshole."

"He's an asshole," He repeated, and Josh chuckled, his theory being confirmed.

"Justin?" JC sighed.

"Hm?"

"Look at me for a second," The older said, watching as the younger's eyes slowly met eyes.

"Hi," He chuckled drunkingly.

"Hi baby. I need you to listen to me very carefully. Can you do that for me?"

"Sir yes sir," Justin saluted, and JC chuckled before turning serious.

"I need you to stay away from Lance, okay? I'll explain more when you're sober but for now just promise me you won't let him near you," JC said, sighing when he thought of what Lance was capable of. A frown grew across Justin's face, but he nodded, showing he understood.

"Okay. Okay, I can do that. I mean, I don't know why - but you said to stay away so I'll stay away. He isn't even that cute though so I don't get -"

"Justin," JC interrupted with a laugh, watching the younger man ramble.

"How you know him but if you say stay away -"

"Justin."

"I'll stay away because I don't want to mess things up with you cause I really like you -" The Memphis native continued, only stopping when Josh pressed his lips to his. "Oh," Justin breathed as they pulled away.

"You were rambling."

"Maybe I should ramble more often," He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Soon, Joey and Chris approached the two.

"Sorry I couldn't keep Lance away from you guys, C. Albinos are fucking fast," Joey said with a sigh.

"Hey, it's all good," JC laughed.

"What did he say to you guys?"

"Wanted to introduce himself to Justin. The typical bitter ex-boyfriend act," The 28 year old shrugged.

"Ew!" Justin exclaimed, and the three turned to him, confusion on their faces.

"What are you ew-ing about, J?" Chris asked, finding his drunk friend all too amusing, even if he himself was tipsy.

"You used to date Lance?! So not your type Josh," Justin pouted.

"Oh, and what is my type?" He questioned with a smile.

"Me," He answered, causing the others to laugh.

"You know, I think you're right."

"And I think you two need a room," Chris interjected.

"I keep finding reasons to like you, Kirkpatrick," Joey said.

"Well good. Because I think you're going to be seeing a lot of each other," JC said, and Justin nodded furiously.

"You're going to be seeing a lot of each other," He repeated, and Chris laughed.

"Oh yeah, he's fucking wasted. He repeats everything when he's gone," The eldest informed the two.

"I kind of figured that out," JC laughed. "But I think it's time we head home. Don't you think, Justin?"

"I don't want to go home," He pouted.

"No? Then where do you want to go?" Chris questioned, the smirk yet to leave his face.

"I want to stay with Josh."

"That's - well - that's kind of what I meant when I said home," Josh softly said, instantly blushing.

"Oh. Then yeah, 's go home," He smiled.

—-

JC's driver first dropped off Chris and Joey at their respected homes, and finally pulled up to JC's mansion, smiling and shaking his head as he watched JC try his best to keep his arm locked around Justin's weight as the younger stumbled up the cobblestone driveway and into the foyer.

"Marcel, my man!" Justin said with a bright smile.

"Mr. Timberlake, it's very nice to see you again," JC's butler said with a smile, ready to take their coats.

"You know, Marcel? I think I want to keep my coat on. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice temperature in this house, but - I paid like 15 hours for this coat. I'm going to get some use out of it," He rambled once again, and Marcel nodded with a chuckle.

"That's fine, Mr. Timberlake. It's a very nice coat," He replied, and Justin gasped, turning to JC.

"Did you just hear that, Josh? Marcel complimented my coat," He said, his voice lowering to a whisper.

"Yeah baby, I heard. It's a very nice coat," Josh spoke, and Justin gasped once again.

"That's so sweet."

"Alright, time for bed," JC said, starting to help Justin walk up the long staircase before turning back to his butler. "Marcel? Please make sure that we have Advil stocked up in the medicine cabinet. I'm sure Justin will be needing some in the morning."

"Yes, Mr. Chasez. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," He smiled. Finally, he made it to the master bedroom and let Justin collapse onto the silky sheets.

"I forgot how much I loved this bed," Justin mumbled, his face already in the pillow. JC laughed, taking off his leather jacket and placing it on his dresser.

"Do you need anything?" He asked, kicking off his shoes before turning to Justin. "Like maybe taking your shoes off?"

"You do it," He replied.

"You want me to take off your shoes?"

"Mhm. Too tired," The 23 year old muttered, and Josh chuckled.

"Alright, but you owe me, Timberlake," He said, gently sliding the brown dress shoes off of his feet, placing them neatly beside his own. "Anything else?" Josh asked, and Justin vigorously shook his head, happily sighing when JC laid down next to him, his hand caressing his hip bone.

"Josh?" Justin spoke softly.

"Yeah, Justin?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" He asked, his eyes slowly opening to meet JC's.

"Sure, baby," Josh replied.

"I love you," Justin whispered, leaning in and gently pressing his lips to Josh's before scooting forward and resting his head under JC's. The elder man felt his heart flutter. Justin just told him he loved him. And although he was certain the younger wouldn't remember it in the morning, he couldn't have been happier.

"I love you too, Justin," He replied, gently kissing the younger man's forehead before securing his arms around him and falling asleep with the smile still on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

"Fuck," Justin mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes, immediately closing them when the sun coming into the room hit them, intensifying the headache he already had. Slowly, he turned onto his side and attempted to shield his eyes by shoving them into the pillow, but hit something hard instead. He groaned, opening his eyes once more to see Joshua, who was propped up onto his elbow, fully dressed, watching him.

"Good morning," The slightly older male said with a smile.

"Morning," Justin muttered, scooting closer to JC and sighing contently when he wrapped an arm around him and started rubbing his back.

"How you feeling?"

"Like I got rammed by a fucking train," He replied, and JC chuckled.

"That's a little better than what I was expecting," Josh teased lightly, then kissed Justin's forehead to turn around and grab something off the bedside table. "Here," He said, turning back over with two pills an a glass of water in his hand.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?" Justin asked with a laugh, and JC couldn't help but feel his heart ping. Justin didn't remember that he had in fact told him he loved him the previous night. And although JC wasn't expecting him to, he did carry a sliver of hope.

"This would be the first," He played along, wanting Justin to remember on his own. Justin just smiled as he took the pills and water into his hand, downing them. He felt his stomach tighten. He remembered telling Josh he loved him, and Josh telling him he loved him too. It made him somewhat sad that the elder was just acting like it was a drunk mistake that should be forgotten.

"Thanks," Justin responded, handing JC the cup so he could place it back on the bedside table. Once he did, he happily accepted Justin back into his arms.

"What are your plans for today?" The elder questioned, gently brushing a short curl from Justin's forehead.

"Well… once I feel like a human again, Britney wanted to go over what the editors did with your photos. Did you want to come see them?" He asked, his tired blue eyes shifting up to look at Josh's.

"Sure, I'll come see them. I think someone should be looking after you today," JC teased.

"Yeah, what did happen last night? I remember getting to the club and not having to pay for any drinks, but not much after that. Oh! And something about an albino?" He inquired, his eyebrows furrowing as Josh laughed.

"You mean Lance?"

"Lance…," Justin repeated, as if the name was familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"My ex-boyfriend. Blonde, green eyes, kept calling you a kid," JC tried to jog his memory.

"I'm not a kid!" Justin exclaimed, his head shooting up, quickly lowering once more when he felt the rush of pain. "Oh. I remember now. You told me to stay away from him."

"I did. I told you I'd explain more when you sobered up. What do you say we go get some food in you and I'll tell you more about it then?" JC suggested, and Justin slowly nodded, priding himself on the fact that he stood up without loosing his balance. Josh crinkled his eyebrows in concern when he noticed Justin's pale face, and gently put a hand on the small of his back. "Food, baby," He encouraged, gently pushing the younger male in front of him. Justin smiled, vaguely remembering Joshua calling him that multiple times the night before. Even though JC was pretending they hadn't said 'I love you' to each other, he was glad the nickname remained.

"Waffles?" Justin asked, blindly being pushed into the bathroom where black sweatpants and a white hoodie sat on the counter.

"Waffles are your hangover food?" Josh questioned, his eyebrows raising in amusement.

"Hey! Don't judge me!" The Memphis native chuckled.

"Not judging you, babe. If waffles is what you want, waffles is what you're gonna get. Now get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs. Oh, and brush your teeth. I'd like to be able to kiss you without being hit in the face by the smell of tequila," He winked, leaning forward to press a quick kiss on Justin's cheek before retreating down the long staircase. Justin watched him leave and shook his head with a smile, but sighed as he turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. Why didn't he just tell Josh he loved him this morning? If Josh felt the same, why didn't he say something? Justin wanted so desperately for him and Joshua to be more than friends, but he didn't want to complicate the relationship they had. However, the relationship they had was already confusing, and Justin wasn't sure he could make it any more difficult if he tried. The 23 year old shook his head, deciding he was thinking too hard. He didn't want to push their relationship too far and scare Josh away. The elder told him he'd had his fair share of people using him for his time, and he didn't want to give the impression that he was doing the same. All of the thinking combined with the taste of day-old vodka in his mouth was enough to make the room spin and the nausea to rush to Justin's head, giving him just enough time to drop to his knees before he started throwing up. "Justin?" JC called, hearing the thud and rushing upstairs, wincing when he saw Justin hunched over the toilet, now dry heaving. Instantly, he dove to his knees and positioned himself behind him, rubbing his back. "Hey, you okay?"

"Fine," Justin breathed out, wiping his mouth and sitting back on his heels, leaning into Josh's chest. "Sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Justin. You had a good time last night and you didn't drive home. That's all that matters," He smiled, pressing a kiss to Justin's matted hair. "You still wanna go for waffles?"

"Uh, yeah," The 23 year old scoffed as if it were obvious, and Josh chuckled, standing up and flushing the toilet.

"You okay to stand up?" He questioned, the hint of concern still in his voice as he offered his hands, which Justin gratefully took and slowly stood.

"Yeah I just - I was thinking too much. Kinda made the room start to spin," He honestly told him.

"Defiantly not a good idea after downing as much tequila as you did last night," Josh chuckled, running his hand up and down Justin's back.

"How much tequila did I actually have?" The younger asked, not quite sure he wanted to know the answer.

"I stopped counting after 7 shots," He replied.

"And I woke up with clothes on? I'm impressed."

"I would never take advantage of you, Justin," JC spoke honestly. "I would, however, kiss you, but now not only do you have booze breath, but vomit breath," He smiled, slipping out of the bathroom once more and allowing Justin to get ready.

—-

"You know, I'm still surprised you actually know how to drive," Justin spoke as he brought his much needed mug of coffee to his lips and taking a long sip.

"Funny, Timberlake," JC teased.

"And not a fancy sports car too? You're just surprising me all over the place," The younger joked back, biting his waffle once more.

"Just because I have a lot of time doesn't mean I like to use it constantly. I do like trying to be normal sometimes," Josh replied in a moment of honesty.

"Right, because your bodyguard reminding you to inspect your car before you got in it. That's normal."

"You're lucky you're cute."

"I get that a lot," Justin smiled, before returning to his food, finishing the last piece of waffle on his plate.

"I wonder why," JC responded, and Justin chuckled, mockingly rolling his eyes.

"Now, who's Lance?" He asked, his face turning serious, and Josh sighed.

"An ex-boyfriend of mine. His parents are friends with mine, they work for Chasez Banks. We were always around each other at company events and we were usually the only ones around the same age. I don't know… we just started dating. I really liked him, and I felt like I had someone who wasn't with me based on how much time I had because he was rich too. But that didn't matter. As soon as I knew we weren't going to work out, I broke it off. It didn't stop him from stealing almost all of my time and trying to convince my parents I blew it when I was wasted," The 28 year old explained, his eyes directly on Justin's.

"I - I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Justin honestly said, placing his hand on top of the elder's. JC smiled, seeing the genuine sympathy in the younger's eyes.

"Thanks. But it's okay, it didn't take me all that long to get the time back and prove to my parents I was still fit to work for our company. I moved on, but Lance never did. He's bitter, and he's jealous. He's tried to ruin every relationship I've had after him, and I know what he's capable of. He's dangerous, Justin, and I don't know if I could live with myself if you ever got hurt. That's why I need you to stay as far away from him as possible. I'll do everything I can to protect you, but I need you to be on your toes as well."

"I can do that," The Memphis native smiled, his heart fluttering hearing that Josh would protect him.

"Good. I'm not going to let Lance Bass ruin what we have," The raven haired male spoke, and Justin sighed, his eyes lowering. "What?"

"I mean… that's nice and all, but what exactly is it that we have? What are we, Josh?" Justin questioned, wanting to at least know where the older male stood.

"Well, I was hoping to make this a little more elaborate than just asking you in the middle of a restaurant the morning after you passed out drunk… but I guess now's a good a time as ever. Justin, will you be my boyfriend?" He asked nervously, his eyes slowly raising to meet Justin's blue eyes, eyes that crinkled as the smile reached his ears.

"Really?" The younger questioned, his smile feeling like a now permanent feature on his face.

"Yeah," Josh chuckled.

"I'd - I'd love to be your boyfriend."

"Well good," JC replied, smiling as he shifted his gaze to see Justin's hand still covering his own. "My family is hosting another one of our company events next week. You wanna come? Joey always tags along for the free food."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Justin quietly asked, lowering his eyes and gently pulling his hand off of JC's.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know, Josh… I don't think I'd fit in," The Memphis native replied, pulling at his sleeve to hide his time, clearly a motion that came automatically to him. JC felt his heart twist at the thought of such a sweet, caring man feeling as if he wasn't good enough, and now that Justin was his, he was going to do everything he could to ensure Justin knew he was everything Josh could ask for, and more.

"Come here, baby," Josh whispered, patting his lap.

"We're in the middle of a restaurant," Justin pointed out with a chuckle.

"A restaurant that doesn't open for another hour but the owner is friends with my father," The raven haired male responded, smiling when Justin chuckled, getting out of his seat and sitting on JC's lap. "They're going to love you, Justin."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I love you," He replied, his hand reaching up to caress Justin's cheek.

"It sounds even better the second time you say it," He smiled, and Josh's eyebrows furrowed.

"Wait… you remember saying it last night?" JC asked, somewhat shocked. Justin nodded.

"I love you, Josh," Justin repeated, his hands wrapping around the older's neck.

"I love you too, Justin."

—-

It was the next day, and Justin and JC reluctantly separated from each other to head to their respective works. Justin sat at lunch with Chris, absentmindedly picking at his lunch while flipping through the rough copy of the spring edition of GQ. He lingered on the page with Josh's spread a little too long. God his boyfriend was hot.

"Like what you see?" Chris questioned, unable to hide the smirk from his face as Justin jumped, jolted out of his thoughts, not speaking until he regained his breath.

"I mean - this is my first magazine. I want it to be perfect… and besides Josh's spread, it fucking sucks," The younger sighed, tossing the magazine to the floor.

"Hey, you're too hard on yourself, Justin. It's your first issue, nobody expects it to be perfect," The elder said, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Except me," Justin breathed, resting his elbows on his desk and placing his head in his hands. "I told the senior editor I'd be here late tonight, I want to see what I can rearrange."

"No plans with your boyfriend?" Chris teased, but Justin whipped his head up, eyes widening.

"Who told you he was my boyfriend?"

"You. Just now," He responded, knowing his best friend's defensive tactic all too well. "That's great though, J. I'm happy for you," Chris spoke honestly.

"Thanks. But to answer your question, no. We don't have plans. The only date I have tonight is with this magazine."

"So basically, you're going to run yourself into the ground over this issue?"

"Basically," Justin shrugged, turning to his desktop computer. Chris chuckled and checked his watch, sighing when he realized lunch was over.

"Alright, J. I gotta go. I'll come by and wish you luck on your journey when I clock out," He said, standing up from his chair and heading towards the door.

"See ya," Justin responded, not looking up from his computer.

—

It was 11:34pm, and Justin still sat at his desk, scraps of paper and empty cups of coffee scattering the normally clear wood. He sighed heavily. No matter how much he tried, he felt like something was always off with the issue, and when he fixed that one thing, something else suffered. He ran his hands through his short curls and put his head in his hands. He was so focused on how much he felt like a failure, that he didn't notice the figure open his door and slip into his room.

"Hey, baby," The voice called, causing Justin to jump and slap a hand over his heart.

"Jesus christ, Josh! you scared the shit out of me!" Justin exclaimed, but once he calmed down, he couldn't help his relief from flooding in. He never knew how much he needed to see his boyfriend in that minute, until now.

"Sorry," JC chuckled, walking towards Justin and gently pressing a kiss to his temple.

"Not that I'm not so happy to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"Chris called me and told me you were giving yourself a hard time about the issue and that you were going to stay late. I didn't want you to burn yourself out and I wanted to make sure you ate so I made you some dinner," The elder told him, outstretching his hand that was holding a large, blue, plastic container.

"You mean your chef made me some dinner?" Justin teased, gratefully taking the food.

"No, I mean I made it," Josh responded, and Justin looked up at him.

"Really?" He questioned in a whisper.

"Yeah. I have to warn you though, it's not going to be anywhere near as good as what my chef could make."

"I don't care. It's going to be better because you made it…," The 23 year old smiled, placing the container on his desk. "Thank you so much, Josh."

"Of course, baby. I love you," JC said.

"I love you too."

"Good, now get some food in you and let's see what we can do about this magazine."


	8. Chapter 8

Justin rushed into his office the next morning 15 minutes late, his bag falling from his arm, his slightly curly hair a mess. He threw what he could onto his desk and tried to catch his breath, before he noticed Chris leaning against the doorframe, a giant smirk on his face.

"Late night?" The elder questioned, the smirk yet to even slightly fade.

"Shut it," Justin glared at him, blowing his hair out of his face as he reached into his bag, pulling out a notebook and placing it gently on his desk.

"What's that?"

"Rough draft of the spring issue. I was going to show Britney today and see what she thinks before I submit it," He explained, picking it up once more and handing it to Chris, who eagerly flipped through it.

"JC help you with this?" Chris questioned.

"Yeah," Justin replied, trying to clean up his work space as best as he could. He and Josh didn't leave the GQ offices until extremely late, but it wasn't all due to working on the magazine. Around 1am, Justin couldn't help himself from telling his extremely hot boyfriend his fantasy about having sex in an office. Josh instantly smirked, pushing all the clippings and technology from the wooden table, picking Justin up by his waist and fulfilling his fantasy. Afterwards, the two returned to JC's mansion, just in time for Justin to get 3 hours of sleep, before missing his alarm and scrambling to make it to work.

"It's awesome, dude," Chris honestly told him, truly impressed with the younger's work.

"I mean, it was mostly Josh. This isn't his first magazine cover," He shrugged.

"Man, you got it bad, don't you J?" The elder teased, knowing Justin was head over heels in love with the older man.

"Tell me you wouldn't if he was your boyfriend," Justin winked, cuffing the sleeves of his blazer.

"Does he expect any credit?" Chris teased, and Justin scoffed.

"Of course not. I'd want to make sure I look good on my cover too. And I'd help my boyfriend out," He shrugged, gritting his teeth when a curl bounced back into his eyes.

"God, you talk like you've been together for years."

"Jealous much?" Justin teased.

"Yeah right. I'll have you know, asshole, I've had plenty of date offers recently," The raven haired male confidently proclaimed, but Justin scoffed.

"Yeah, and I'm straight," He teased, and Chris laughed. The best friends slipped into a comfortable silence, before there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Justin exclaimed, smiling when Britney walked into his office sheepishly.

"Woah, what happened in here?" She asked, her blue eyes darting around the office, confused at how messy it was, knowing Justin was a perfectionist.

"I was here late last night with Josh working on the issue. You gotta see it, Brit!" He exclaimed, his face lighting up. Britney couldn't help but feel her heart drop slightly. He was in his office, alone with JC. There had to be something going on between them, but she was having trouble wording her question in a way that wouldn't make her sound like a bitch.

"I'm excited to see it," She smiled brightly. "That was nice of him to come and help you."

"Oh, I got it J!" Chris exclaimed, clearing his throat. "I'd want to make sure I look good on my cover too. And I'd help my boyfriend out," He slightly lowered his voice to impersonate Justin, who slapped his shoulder.

"Asshole," The Memphis native muttered under his breath.

"Oh… so you guys are officially dating?" Britney questioned.

"Yeah! Isn't that great!?" He exclaimed, and Britney couldn't help but smile at how adorable the slightly older man was.

"That is great, Justin. Congrats," She tried her best to sound sincere and not heart-broken, and by the increasing smile on Justin's face, she knew it worked.

"Alright, you two. Some people actually have to work around here. I'll see you at lunch, J, if your boyfriend doesn't decide to feed you again," He teased, before turning to Britney and placing a hand on her shoulder, silently giving her comfort. "See ya, Brit."

"Bye Chris," She smiled, watching him leave the room, her gaze on the door until Justin spoke up.

"So, did you wanna look over the rough copy before I submit it to the editors?" He questioned, sitting down and pushing what he could out of the way.

"Sure," The blonde responded, sitting across from him and gratefully taking the book when Justin placed it down. As she flipped through the pages, she couldn't help but admire the pictures of JC. There was no denying he was hot, and that Justin was lucky to have him, but JC was just as lucky. Justin was an amazing man. Thoughtful, sweet, and in Britney's opinion, just as good looking as JC. She smiled, her jealously slowly fading away as she realized how happy the two made each other, and how grateful she was to even be Justin's friend. "This is really amazing, Justin," She honestly spoke, and Justin smiled, grateful for her approval.

"Thanks, Brit. It means a lot," He said, taking the book when she handed it back and holding it within his hands. "This is it, I guess. This is going to be their first impression of me here… God, I hope I don't fuck it up," Justin spoke, his insecurities shining through. He couldn't afford to mess this opportunity up. He'd sacrificed all of his time to come to New York, to start a new job and a new life. He'd finally found friends… found love… He didn't know what he'd do if GQ decided that he wasn't good enough. He couldn't go back to Memphis, not with all the bad memories that remained there. He'd promised his mother he'd make a life for himself, and he couldn't do that if GQ fired him.

"You gotta stop being so hard on yourself, Justin," She smiled softly, seeing it in the young man's eyes that he'd been through a lot. Justin nodded, looking up at her and doing his best to smile.

"I know… It's just, this means so much to me and I have a lot riding on it," He shrugged.

"Yeah, I get it. I used to photograph so many people for free just so I could get my name out there, hoping someone would see it and hire me. There were times where all I could afford were the reduced and expired food items in the grocery stores, but it gets better. Especially around here," Britney told him. "And what do you have to worry about? You're dating JC Chasez for christ's sake," She giggled, feeling more comfortable being around Justin as his friend.

"Brit!" Justin exclaimed, unable to hold back a laugh, feeling himself relax. The blonde then smirked, raising her eyebrows. "Oh no."

"What do you say we have some fun? You and I have been working ourselves into the ground for far too long," She suggested, the smile on her perfectly tanned skin increasing.

"I like the sound of that," Justin smirked, watching as Britney grabbed one of the glasses filled with water left from the previous night. She started to laugh along with Justin, but quickly brought her finger to her lips, trying to hold in her giggles as she led the way out Justin's office, her eyes landing on Chris, who was leaning forward in his chair, eyes glued to his computer. Tip toeing over to his desk, the two tried their best to keep quiet, and Britney silently counted to three, before lifting the glass high up, and dumping he contents out, all over Chris' black suit.

"What the fuck?!" He exclaimed, screeching his chair backwards in shock, barely missing Britney, who along with Justin, was doubled over in laughter.

"That was too good!" Justin breathed out through his intense laughter, as Britney just nodded, unable to speak.

"Fucking children," Chris muttered, starting to remove the soaked contents from his desk.

"Come on, Chris, Justin was being hard on himself! I needed something to cheer him up!" The female tried to explain, her laughter slowly dying down.

"Just call JC next time or something. My reports didn't deserve this," He spoke, picking up his paper and shaking them.

"Like you do anything important around here," Justin scoffed.

"I liked you better when you were being hard on yourself."

"See ya at lunch, old man. Come on, Brit. Let's go submit this magazine," He smiled, turning to the blonde with a smile.

"See you, Chris!" Britney laughed, waving as she ran off giggling with Justin.

"Hey, man!" Chris smiled later on that day, bursting into Justin's office on his way out.

"Hey, CK. What's up?" Justin responded, looking up from his computer.

"I just got back from the editors office. They love the issue," The elder man said, the grin still evident on his face, as Justin's bright blue eyes widened.

"Really?" He softly questioned, feeling his heart start to race.

"Yeah. They said the final copy should be ready within the next week.

"That's awesome," The 23 year old spoke, trying his best to hide his true excitement.

"Good job, kid. I'm proud of you," Chris genuinely told his best friend, knowing how much effort the younger put into the magazine.

"Thanks, Chris. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow, J."

"See ya," Justin responded, watching as Chris turned around and left his office. When Justin was sure he was alone, he noticed his lips were starting to hurt, most likely because he had yet to stop smiling. He immediately grabbed for his cell phone, wanting to call Josh, but heard another knock on his door. "Come in!" He called, believing it was Chris once more. However, his smile faded quickly as he watched Lance Bass walk into his office, and lock the door.

"Hi Justin," The blonde said, the smirk slowly growing on his face.

"Hi Albino," Justin responded, trying his best not to act intimidated, or ask how his boyfriend's ex knew his name.

"Real cute. Like I haven't heard that one before," Lance scoffed.

"Must mean it's true," The Memphis native shrugged. "Would you rather me ask you why you're here now, or after I have you escorted out by security?"

"I can see Joshua has already told you about me."

"He's told me enough to know that I want nothing to do with you, and I want you no where near him," Justin growled, not backing down. However, Lance just smirked.

"A little possessive, aren't we?"

"I think I'm entitled to be after how much you fucked him over."

"You see, Justin, this is why I had to come pay you a little visit. You might think that you're this tough guy that can protect JC from big bad Lance. He hasn't even told you half of the story. But what? You're so blinded by how much time he has you can't pay close enough attention?" The blonde questioned, stepping closer to Justin, who just chuckled.

"You really figured out my name and where I work just to try and make me believe you aren't some jealous, bitter ex-boyfriend? God, Josh didn't tell me you were that pathetic?" The 23 year old scoffed, gaining his confidence.

"So naive," Lance laughed. "I came all this way to give you a fair warning. Just because Joshua is dating the likes of you, it doesn't mean i'm going to back off. He belongs with me, Justin. I've gotten rid of his exes in the past…," He continued, stepping closer to Justin, who instinctively backed up, his back touching the wall. "I'll have no problem getting rid of you," He finished, watching as Justin's crystal blue eyes raised, making direct eye contact with his.

"I'd like to see you try."


	9. Chapter 9

"Baby, I'm so proud of you!" Joshua exclaimed happily, as he and Justin sat in JC's dining room, eating the elegant dinner that the chef had prepared. Justin had went straight to Josh's after Lance's visit, wanting to tell him as soon as possible. He was planning to visit anyways after Chris told him that the GQ editors loved the magazine, balling up his excitement until he was with Josh, who truly understood how much the issue meant to him. He knew Josh wouldn't be happy about Lance, however, and would automatically slip into 'protective boyfriend' mode, but Justin couldn't keep it from him, despite the original intentions of coming over.

"I mean - it was mostly you," Justin shrugged, taking a bite of the roasted potatoes on his plate.

"Don't say that. It was all you, Justin. You're more talented than you give yourself credit for… I just helped you realize it," The slightly elder man smiled, chuckling lightly when Justin blushed. The 23 year old then cleared his throat, the smile fading as his eyes raised to meet Josh's.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?" JC instantly replied, curious as to why Justin's tone suddenly turned serious.

"Lance came to work today," He slowly and carefully said, watching as his boyfriend's eyes widened, the anger already growing in them.

"What?!" He exclaimed, almost choking on the steak he was chewing on.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Justin assured, taking the elder's hand within his own, wanting JC to be calm before he continued.

"Did he try anything?" The raven haired male questioned, and Justin smiled at the concern.

"No."

"How the hell did he find out your name, not to mention where you work?" JC asked, his voice lowering, the concern still evident.

"I honestly don't know. He didn't say…," Justin replied.

"See, this is what I mean. He's dangerous, Justin. God, you shouldn't have even been alone with him!" His voice started to raise, his breathing starting to speed up until Justin squeezed his hand, offering comfort.

"I'm okay. He didn't try anything," Justin repeated, knowing his boyfriend needed to hear it again.

"Thank God. What did he want?"

"Wanted to give me a fair warning that he wasn't going to back off and that he was going to get rid of me… you know, the same thing you already told me about," The Memphis native shrugged.

"Fuck," Josh muttered, bringing his free hand to his face. "Justin, I want my security to be with you. I don't want you to be alone. I can't have anything happen to you," The 28 year old started to ramble.

"Josh, no. I don't want your security. I want to live my life the same way I have here. I'm not going to walk into work with a personal security guard… I'm not scared of Lance," He spoke, and JC's silver-blue eyes connected with Justin's once more.

"You're not?" He whispered, more needing Justin's reassurance to calm his own nerves.

"No. I've been through more than Lance Bass can even imagine. Him trying to get me out of my boyfriend's life is honestly just going to be free entertainment. I promise I'll be careful… I'll stay away from him and I'll watch my back, but I'm not going to stop living because of him," Justin spoke, and JC nodded, a small smile on his face.

"I love you so much," He spoke, squeezing the younger's hand within his own.

"I love you too."

"Enough about Lance. Let's keep talking about your magazine," JC announced, chuckling when he saw Justin's eyes light up, a bright smile on his face as he started to happily ramble about his day.

\--

Justin was fiddling with his black blazer, his shaky hands making it extremely difficult to place the button through the hole of his cuff.

"Damn it, Timberlake," He muttered under his breath. Tonight was the night of Joshua's family event. The night he would meet JC's family, friends and business partners. The Memphis native still didn't feel like he would fit in, despite Josh's constant reassurances. What if they caught onto his slight southern accent immediately? What if they thought his curly hair was messy? What if they knew that almost all the time he had was because Joshua had given it to him. Sighing, he sat down on Josh's bed, placing his head in his hands. He soon felt a pair of hands pull his own from his face, opening his eyes slowly to see Joshua looking at him, the admiration shining in the silver-blue.

"Chris and Joey are downstairs," JC spoke softly. He knew Justin was terrified of not fitting in, and his heart broke for the younger man. Justin was the most amazing person he'd ever met, and he hated that his boyfriend couldn't see that for himself./span/p

"I don't know if I can do this," Justin whispered, the tears starting to shimmer in his eyes.

"Hey," Josh spoke, instantly sitting on the bed next to Justin and wrapping his arms around the younger. "Of course you can do this. They're going to love you, baby. You've got to be more confident in who you are…," He told his boyfriend, gently pressing his face into his soft curls.

"Easy for you to say," Justin lightly chuckled, closing his eyes when he felt Josh gently press a kiss to his temple.

"Let's get down there before Chris and Joey get into my liquor stash," The elder laughed, grateful when the younger did as well.

"Wait," Justin stopped him, sheepishly raising his wrist, the cuff of his suit still not buttoned. Josh chuckled once more, carefully placing the button through the black fabric before grabbing his hand and helping him up. They made their way down the massive staircase, watching with smirks as Joey and Chris attempted to search through each and every drawer, no doubt looking for alcohol.

"You're not going to find it," JC spoke from his place on the stairs, holding in his laugh when Joey and Chris jumped up and gasped.

"No - Jayce, c'mon - we weren't - we weren't looking for anything," Joey tried to cover up, his voice trembling.

"He's right! We just - we just wanted to see - oh fuck, what's the point?" Chris huffed in defeat.

"No, no. Keep going, I was enjoying that," JC smirked, rubbing his hand up and down Justin's back as the younger rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

"Well, maybe if you and loverboy didn't take so long upstairs, we wouldn't be looking for anything," Joey chimed in, smirking as JC rolled his eyes. He then took in the purple dress shirt and black pants Chris was wearing, along with the red shirt and black pants Joey was sporting.

"You two clean up pretty nicely," He commented.

"You have to dress nice to get served the free food," Joey responded, as Josh rolled his eyes once more.

"Let's just go. Kevin is waiting," He stated, turning to Justin with a smile and pressing a kiss to his hand before squeezing it, offering just enough comfort to calm Justin's nerves.

"Mom, dad, this is Justin," Josh proudly introduced his boyfriend to his parents, his hand gently stroking the younger' back, knowing how nervous he was.

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you Justin!" JC's mother, Karen, exclaimed, pulling the 23 year old into a tight embrace.

"You too, Mrs. Chasez," Justin returned, holding onto her, as he realized how much he missed having a mother figure.

"Please Mrs. Chasez is so formal. Call us Karen and Roy," She smiled brightly, pulling away from the younger man and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Joshua has told us so much about you."

"Mom!" JC whined, wanting nothing more than for his mother to keep his mushy comments about his boyfriend to herself.

"Oh hush, Joshua. Justin deserves to know how happy he makes you," Karen said, her heart melting when she saw the bright smile instantly adorn Justin's face. She then turned to Joshua and chuckled, seeing his cheeks flush red. Roy, JC's dad, also chuckled at his son's embarrassment and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he did, Justin couldn't help but notice the amount of time on his arm. It was a quick glance, but the man had at least hundreds of decades. The Memphis native shifted uncomfortably, his smile fading as he realized just how much he didn't fit in. He tried his best to continue smiling, and wondered if Josh could yet notice the difference between a genuine and fake one. He noticed his boyfriend's eyes lower slightly, and instantly got his answer.

"He makes me very happy. He knows that," Josh spoke, more speaking to Justin than anyone else. Roy noticed his son looking at Justin, and nodded at his wife.

"Come on, Karen, let's give them at least some privacy," He spoke, then turning to Joshua and Justin. "You guys owe me," He teased, winking as he walked away with his wife. When they were out of JC's vision, he turned to his boyfriend, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"You okay?"

"I just - I still don't feel like I fit in," Justin sighed, looking down. JC felt his heart tighten and leaned forward, kissing his temple.

"Baby, they don't see you for your time. They didn't even notice it. My mom told you, you make me happy. That's all they care about. That's all I care about," He spoke, gently running his hand up and down Justin's back.

"Thanks," He softly smiled, feeling somewhat better.

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you too."

\------

Justin felt much better as the night when on, as Josh's family and friends were warm and welcoming, none of them even slightly referencing his time, or questioning where he came from or why he looked so nervous. He excused himself briefly, walking into the large, marbled, and perfectly cleaned bathroom in the Chasez mansion. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled slightly, grateful for his new life. He then lifted the sleeve on his dress shirt, staring at the time on his arms. 25 years. It was an amount of time he never in his life thought he would have, but was so incredibly thankful for it, for Josh, for everything. He was in the process of pulling his sleeve back down, when the bathroom door opened, and Lance Bass slipped in.

"Hi, Justin," He instantly spoke, quickly locking the door, cornering the younger male in.

"What do you want, Lance?" Justin sighed, not in the mood to deal with his lover's ex. He was in too good of a mood.

"My parents told me Josh's new boyfriend would be joining us tonight. It would've been rude of me to pretend not to know who you are," The blonde responded, and Justin rolled his eyes.

"I'm so sick of your games, Lance. Leave Josh and I alone," He confidently said, going to step around Lance, but the other male was too quick, blocking his path.

"Not so fast. I'm not sure how much longer there is going to be a Josh and you."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" The Memphis native asked, his eyes narrowing.

"You really are naive, aren't you? You think you could waltz into the life of JC Chasez and hide your little secrets forever?" Lance lowered his voice, stepping closer to the 23 year old.

"Lance, what are you talking about?" Justin shakily questioned, the confidence fading from his voice.

"I know everything about you, Justin Timberlake. I know you used to live in Memphis. I know you were raised by a single mother who worked her ass off to get 24 hours of time just to feed you and make it to work the next day. I know you came from nothing, and I know she timed out and that's why you're here. That's all fine. But you really think Josh's parents, never mind Josh, are going to allow you to be in their lives when your father was one of the biggest time thieves in Memphis and was killed for stealing time?" Lance spoke, watching as Justin's jaw dropped in shock.

"How…" Justin started to shakily speak, wondering how his darkest kept secrets were so easily found by someone he barely knew.

"I told you. You thought that the richest family in New York wouldn't find out? Even if they didn't, I did. And I won't stand back and let Joshua be in danger of dating a con man's son."

"Lance, please… don't do this. I'm nothing like him," The Memphis native begged, the tears filling his eyes as his world shattered."Too late. If I were you, I'd get out of here as soon as possible. Karen and Roy were the first people I told, it's only a matter of time before they tell Josh and he kicks you out of his life and realizes I'm the only one for him."

"You're a bastard," Justin whispered, using all of his energy to stop the tears from flowing out of his eyes, refusing to give Lance the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

"Maybe, but at least I earn my time," He smirked, before Justin roughly pushed him out of the way and unlocked the door, rushing out.

"Justin?" Chris questioned, seeing his best friend racing through the large house, heading for the door. He turned to Joey, the concern already growing on his face as he took off after Justin, wondering what had happened to cause the younger man to feel the need to get out of the house as quickly as possible.


	10. Chapter 10

"Justin!" Chris exclaimed, finally catching up to his best friend and gripping him by the arm. He heard Justin's sobs, which only exponentially increased his concerns. "Justin, what the hell happened?!"

"Chris, I have to go! Please just let me go," Justin cried, his voice lowering as his bloodshot eyes raising to his elder's.

"Hey," Chris lowered his voice, his heart breaking at how devastated the younger male looked. "J, you gotta tell me what happened."

"Lance… Lance knows about my family… about my dad… he - he told Josh's parents," Justin broke down, throwing himself into Chris' embrace. Chris was shocked. He knew he was one of the few people that was aware of Justin's past life in Memphis, and he couldn't comprehend how Lance Bass, of all people, had found out.

"Oh my God, Justin. I'm so sorry," The 32 year old tried his best to soothe the crying man, holding him as tight as he possibly could.

"J - Josh is going to h - hate me," He sobbed, holding onto his best friend as if he was his lifeline.

"Hey, Josh is not going to hate you. He knows you, Justin. He knows you're nothing like that," He tried, but Justin just violently shook his head.

"He's going to leave me, Chris. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'm going to lose him!"

"Justin, hey. Look at me," Chris spoke sternly, waiting for the younger to slightly calm down, raising his eyes. "You aren't going to loose him. JC loves you more than you know. He knows how hard you work for your own time, okay? You just need to talk to him."

"I just want to go home," Justin sniffled, slowly pulling away from Chris' embrace, spotting JC's driver. "I'll see you at work," He softly said, lowering his eyes as he walked towards the car and into the door JC's driver was holding open.

\----

"Hey, Joe. Have you seen Justin anywhere?" JC questioned, approaching his own best friend, who was standing by the bar and observing the festivities.

"Yeah. Chris and I saw him running out of here, it looked like he was crying or something. Chris went after him," The 27 year old told him, as the elder's eyes widened.

"What?! Why didn't you come find me?!" Josh exclaimed, his worry skyrocketing.

"Because I thought Chris had it under control. I told you - he went after him."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Joey. What the hell happened?!" He continued to question.

"I don't know!" Joey defended, just as his eyes caught Lance Bass, walking out of the same area Justin had. "Oh no."

"Oh no what?" JC questioned, his gaze following his best friend's, landing on Lance. "Joey -"

"That's where Justin just came from," He answered Josh's question before it could even be asked.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed, nudging the New York native and quickly rushing to where Lance looked as if he was trying to escape. However, the two urgently cornered him, JC's eyes flickering with anger. "What the fuck did you do to Justin!?"

"Woah. No 'hi Lance, how are you? Thank you for coming?'"

"Absolutely not. What did you do to Justin?" He repeated, his voice more strict, his teeth gritting as he tried not to make a scene.

"I found out who he really is, Joshua. I'm protecting you from him."

"Stop fucking talking in riddles and tell me what's going on!" Josh exclaimed, his patience wearing thin.

"Your innocent little angel isn't so innocent. His father was one of the biggest time thieves in Memphis," He smirked, and Josh's stare didn't falter.

"So?" He questioned, still confused, his voice low.

"So? What the hell do you mean so?! Josh, he's with you for your time! Nothing more, nothing less. He's a scam artist. At least that's what your parents said," The blonde spoke, the edges of his lips curling into a smirk as finally, JC's jaw dropped.

"You told my parents?"

"Of course I did. I told you, I'm the only one here for you, Joshua. I've always been the only one there for you," He said, and JC scoffed, taking a step towards the younger male, his eyes a dark, fiery tone of their normal blue.

"You listen to me, James Lance Bass. If you ever think of hurting Justin again, whether physically, mentally or verbally, I will personally make sure your parents get fired and banned from Chasez Banks for life. You can meddle in my life all you want, but don't ever include Justin in your sick, delusional games," He threatened, and Lance quickly decided that this was the most angry JC had ever been. The 26 year old sneered as he took a deep breath, clenching his fists as Joey slowly pulled him away from the situation, and out of Lance's vision.

"He isn't worth it, C."

"God, Joe. Imagine how awful Justin must feel. He told me he was terrified of not fitting in, and I promised him it would be okay...," The elder man sighed, feeling as if he'd let his boyfriend down. In the corner of his eye, he saw Chris slowly walk back into the house, and directly to where JC and Joey were standing, looking straight at Josh, his eyes sad.

"He went home," He simply spoke and could almost see Josh's heart break.

"Fuck. I gotta go after him!" JC panicked, ready to make a mad dash, only to be stopped by Chris' hand on his arm.

"He's stubborn, JC. He's going to try and convince you that you don't love him and that you deserve someone so much better than him," Chris told him, knowing his best friend all too well. And by JC's nod, he knew it too.

"He isn't getting rid of me so easy. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I refuse to let him go. I love him," The 28 year old confessed, appreciating when Chris smiled.

"Then go after him," Chris encouraged, smiling softly as JC nodded, before turning the other way and racing out of his parents' mansion. He reached the large driveway, immediately spotting his driver and rushing over to him.

"Kevin! Did you just take Justin home?!" He frantically exclaimed.

"Yes, Mr. Chasez. I took him to his address," The driver calmly explained, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I need you to take me there," He spoke, opening the door and sliding into the back seat before the driver could even respond. The 28 year old impatiently shifted on the way to Justin's apartment, unable to keep still, his heart racing as he thought of not only how Justin must be feeling, but how he was going to convince the younger that he didn't care about his family. He hadn't spoken to his parents, but he knew them better than Lance did. Yes, they were protective about their family's time, but they know Joshua well enough to know he would never introduce them to his boyfriend if he didn't completely trust him. Soon, the black SUV pulled up to the apartment complex's front door, and Josh silently praised himself for remembering the apartment number Justin lived in. He barely waited for the car to come to a complete stop before throwing the door open and rushing through the barely occupied lobby, figuring the elevator would have taken too long and opting to sprint up 4 flights of stairs. He reached Justin's floor, stopping briefly to catch his breath as he slowly made his way down the hallway, his eyes searching for Justin's apartment. He soon stopped outside of the door that read 416, taking a deep breath as he lifted his hand and knocked on the door. The raven haired male pressed his ear up against the door, hoping to hear Justin's shuffled footsteps making their way to the door, but he had yet to hear anything. Sighing, he knocked a little louder, letting out a breath when he heard some movement from inside. He felt his heart start to race, worried as to how rough his young, innocent lover must be feeling, thinking that Josh's parents hated him. Slowly, the wooden door opened, and there was Justin, his eyes bloodshot, the tears still running down his face, and not even changed out of his suit. The younger was shocked to see Joshua standing before him, convinced that he would want nothing to do with him.

"Josh?" He breathed out in a whisper, the tears still flowing down his tan cheeks.

"Oh, baby," JC softly replied, reaching forward and gathering his love in his arms. He felt Justin's tears start to soak his shirt, but he didn't care. All he cared about was that Justin, his Justin, was in his arms.

"L - Lance," Justin tried to speak through his sobs, but Josh continued to rub his back, placing a kiss in his light brown curls.

"Sh, I don't want to talk about Lance. I know what happened. I want to talk about you. Here, sweetheart. Let's go sit down," The slightly elder male said, gently pulling Justin's hands from around his torso and entertaining their fingers, leading Justin to his leather couch and sitting down next to him, still gripping his hand.

"Why did you come after me?" Justin whispered, his tired and swollen eyes raising to meet Josh's.

"Because I love you. Justin, I don't care about what your father did. You're not him. You work so unbelievably hard for your time, and you've proved that to me since the moment I met you. I trust you more than anyone that's ever been in my life," The 28 year old told him honestly.

"What about your parents? Lance told me they think I'm using you…," The Memphis native sadly spoke.

"I didn't get the chance to speak to them before I raced after you, but I know them. They know that if I'm bringing my boyfriend to a family event to meet my parents, I trust you. They know how cautious I am with my time, after Lance stole it all. It takes a lot for me to trust someone. But I trust you, Justin. Besides, my parents weren't born with million of years to their name either."

"They weren't?" Justin questioned, somewhat shocked that Karen and Roy weren't always rich.

"Of course not," JC lightly chuckled. "My grandfather is the founder of Chasez Banks, but he refused to give my father any time until he earned it for himself. He's worked for our company since he was 14 and made his way up to being CEO," The slightly older male explained. Justin felt himself completely relax, dropping his head to Josh's shoulder, exhausted from the night.

"I'm sorry I took off without talking to you first," He said, causing Josh to chuckle once again.

"Hey, don't be sorry. I would've booked it out of there if I thought my boyfriend's parents hated me… I'm sorry I let Lance get to you."

"Albinos are fast. You would have never been able to catch up with him," Justin shrugged with a slight chuckle.

"Especially ones that escaped from the zoo," JC replied, kissing Justin's curls gently. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying being with each other, offering the comfort and support they both needed. It was Justin who finally broke the silence and pulled away first.

"Don't you have to go back? I mean… it's your family's event. Shouldn't you be there?" He asked, but didn't loosen his grip around Josh's torso.

"I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to go back. If I saw Lance again, I'd rip him to fucking shreds. That isn't exactly allowed if you're the son of Karen and Roy Chasez," JC shrugged, bringing his hands to Justin's curls, feeling the soft hair run through his fingers. "I'm perfectly happy here with you."

"I'm happy you're here too," The Memphis native said, then sighed. "You know you deserve better than me, right? You could have anyone in the world…," He whispered, lowering his eyes once again.

"Hey," Josh started, bringing his hand to Justin's chin and raising it so their eyes met. "Don't say things like that. Don't let Lance get into your head. It's what he wants… I don't deserve emyou. /emYou are everything I have ever wanted in a partner, Justin. You're kind, you're sweet, you're caring, and it sure helps that you're by far the hottest person I have ever laid my eyes on," He said, and Justin blushed with a laugh.

"I love you," He honestly spoke, his eyes staring into Josh's.

"I love you too," JC whispered, leaning forward and kissing his lips. He smiled into the kiss when Justin wrapped his arms around his neck, grateful that in that moment, there was no Lance. There was nothing trying to tear them apart. When they pulled away, Josh smiled, hooking his arms under Justin's legs and lifting him up, all while Justin laughed.

"What are you doing?" He asked through his laughter.

"Putting you to bed. You're shot," He responded, moving his way to the head of Justin's double bed and gently placing him down on the grey sheets.

"Aren't you going to tuck me in too?" Justin questioned with a smirk.

"Smart ass," Josh responded, sitting down on the bed next to Justin, running a thumb down his soft cheek. "I'm gonna head back to the party and talk to my parents for a little bit, and also check on Joey and Chris… if they haven't been kicked out."

"Oh God, who knows what they've got into," The 23 year old said.

"Right? The bar is probably dry by now," He laughed.

"Your fault. You're the one that told them it was free," Justin sing-songed. Josh once again chuckled, but soon turned serious.

"Are you going to be okay?" He questioned after playing rolling his eyes at Justin's comment, his voice full of love and concern.

"Yeah… I'll be okay," Justin whispered, reassuring him.

"I promise I'll be back and I'll be here in the morning. I don't have any meetings tomorrow."

"Okay," Justin responded with a smile.

"You better be sleeping by the time I get back," JC teased, but Justin knew he was only expressing his concern for the younger male.

"Oh, trust me. As soon as that door closes I'll be out," The Memphis native said with a bright smile./span/p

"Good. You need your rest," He spoke, his hands running through Justin's curls once more.

"Yes Dad," Justin teased, sticking his tongue out. Josh chuckled, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Justin's mouth when it closed.

"I love you, Justin."

"I love you too, Josh," Justin whispered, already fast asleep by the time Joshua walked out of his room and closed the door, a smile on his face.


	11. Chapter 11

Joshua walked back into his parents' mansion, his head kept somewhat low as he searched for either his parents, or his friends. He did his best to keep his breathing calm and talk to himself, preparing if he saw Lance to not immediately race up to him and start attacking him. That wasn't what he was there for.

"Jayce!" He heard his name being called, and he felt himself relax. Lance would never call him by his nickname. Only his full name, because he thought he had that privilege. Slowly, JC turned around and smirked slightly, seeing Joey and Chris.

"Hey guys."

"Man, even at an open bar, you'd think you'd be cut off," Chris commented, and JC lightly smiled.

"Nah," He shrugged.

"Did you and Justin work it out?" Joey questioned, the obvious sober one of the two.

"Yeah. He's at his place sleeping right now. He's exhausted. I wanted to come by and make sure you guys were doing okay, and I wanted to talk to my parents," He explained, running his hands through his raven hair.

"Oh yeah, I think they were looking for you," The Italian responded, sipping on his Coors Light.

"Have you seen them?"

"I saw them actually escorting Lance out a while ago. That was fucking priceless."

"Wait, really?" Josh questioned, his eyes lighting up with excitement. If his parents had personally thrown Lance out of their party, it was pretty much confirmed they didn't care about Justin's childhood, and were defending their son and his relationship.

"Dude, why would I even bother to make that up?" Joey pointed out, and JC smiled.

"True," He shrugged, before he noticed his parents at the top of their long, light marble staircase. "Hey. I'm gonna go talk to them and then head back to Justin's. I'll call another driver for you and Chris... you guys gonna be okay to get home?" He questioned, more looking at Chris, who he realized got oddly quiet when he was drunk.

"Don't worry, C. I'll make sure Chris gets home alright," Joey nodded, slapping Chris' shoulder for emphasis.

"Fuck off," Chris mumbled, causing Joey and JC to laugh.

"I think he's pissed about Lance so he got hammered to forget," Joey then seriously said.

"I didn't fucking forget. If I'm drunk, I won't have the coordination to punch Albino directly in the face," The eldest chimed in.

"Now that's a smart strategy. I was just gonna hope my teeth wouldn't puncture my tongue if I saw him and the cramps in my hands would go away from holding my fists closed," The Maryland native explained, and Joey and Chris knew he wasn't at all joking.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that now."

"Yeah, not until the next time he tries to fuck with Justin," Chris spat, rolling his eyes.

"He better not ever try to fuck with Justin again. I have no problem taking back the time he stole from me and taking that from his parents by making them unemployed," JC sneered, the anger burning in him once again.

"He isn't worth it, C," Joey comforted, putting a hand on his arm.

"No. But Justin is," Josh sighed, before offering a small smile and turning on his heels, making his way up the stairs and to his parents. "Hey Mom, Dad," He softly spoke, causing them both to turn around. Karen immediately wrapped her son in a hug, while his father checked the time on his arm to make sure all of it was there and he was okay.

"Oh, sweetie. Are you okay?" She asked, pulling him away and placing her hands on his face.

"I'm fine, Mom. I just went to check on Justin," He sighed.

"We've been looking everywhere for you two after James spoke to us," His mother told him, the concern thick in her voice. Josh rolled his eyes at the mention of his ex.

"Justin ran out of here crying. I went after him," He explained, before slightly clearing his throat. "You guys don't think Justin's a scam artist, do you?" The 28 year old asked, and instantly, Roy and Karen looked extremely confused.

"Of course not. Where would you even get something like that?" Karen asked.

"Lance told Justin you guys said that. Justin thinks you hate him and that's why he left...," He explained.

"Oh goodness. Josh, we would never say something like that. We can tell how much you love him... God, Justin must feel awful."

"He did. He was hysterical when I went over there but I told him you guys didn't care about his childhood or what his father did."

"We don't, son. We know how you guard your time, and if you feel like you can trust Justin, than we can too," Roy told him, and Josh smiled.

"Okay, good. That's what I told him, but I wanted to make sure it was true."

"It is. We were a little shocked to find out he grew up with no time, though. He doesn't look like that type," JC's father commented.

"It's because now he basically works his ass off for his own time, you'd think he's had it all his life," The younger Chasez responded.

"God, that must be so hard on him, being so young," Karen spoke up.

"It's all he knows. Both his parents timed out. He has to work just to survive. When I met him and he found out who I was, he never once asked me for any time. He actually refused because he's so used to earning it on his own," JC explained, the smile on his face as he proudly spoke about his class="Apple-converted-space"

"See? Scam artists don't refuse time. They don't even ask, they just take it," Roy pointed out, and JC smiled, knowing it was his fathers way of trying to make him feel better.

"I know. That's why I love him."

"He didn't want to come back with you?" Karen questioned, and JC could tell it was his mother's way of telling him she wanted to speak to Justin herself.

"No, he's exhausted. I told him I'd go back over once I came and talked to you both."

"Then you better get going," She smiled, rubbing his shoulder gently. Josh returned the smile, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Thanks," He said, reaching over to hug his father.

"We love you, son," Roy spoke.

"I love you too," He smiled brightly, turning to leave before he ran into Lance.

\----

When he returned to Justin's door, he reached into his pocket, thankful that Justin had provided him with a spare key before he left. He slowly placed it into the lock, trying to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake his hopefully sleeping boyfriend. He opened the wooden door with minimal force, closing it behind him as he made his way through the living room and kitchen, straight into Justin's bedroom. His heart melted when he saw Justin curled up under the sheets, his back against the door, fast asleep. Josh smiled, taking off his shoes and belt before sliding into the bed behind Justin, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"I love you," He whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Justin's earlobe.

"Mm… love you too," Justin mumbled, and JC couldn't tell if he'd said it in his sleep or not, but it didn't matter. He knew Justin loved him.

\----

JC slowly opened his eyes the next morning and took in his surroundings, quickly realizing that he was in Justin's apartment. The events of the previous night flooded back to him, and he then instantly noticed that the other side of the bed, Justin's side, was empty. Justin wasn't curled up beside him, his head wasn't resting on his chest. JC was confused, as he had started to get used to waking up before Justin. He pulled back the covers on Justin's bed and made his way into the kitchen, smiling when he saw Justin standing near the stove, the sound and smell of bacon filling the room. The elder of the two made his way over to his boyfriend, sliding his hands around his waist.

"Hey," JC whispered.

"Oh, hey," Justin replied just as softly, turning around in Josh's arms, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned, genuinely concerned as he reached out and pushed a stray curl behind Justin's ear.

"I'm okay," The 23 year old smiled.

"Good. Now, what do we have going on here?" Josh questioned, peeking around Justin to look at the eggs and bacon on the stove. Justin shrugged.

"You always make breakfast when I stay over at your place. I wanted to do the same for you," He responded, with a light blush. JC chuckled.

"You mean I always get my chef to make breakfast," He corrected with a laugh.

"It's the thought that counts," Justin softly said, kissing Josh's cheek before turning back to the stove.

\---

"Thank you for this, baby. You didn't have to," JC said, happily taking a sip of his orange juice.

"I wanted to do this. I wanted to thank you for last night," He said, focusing on his plate and pushing the eggs around with his fork.

"Thank me for what?" The 28 year old asked, genuinely confused.

"For everything. For coming after me, for accepting me for who I am. Anybody else who's heard about my father avoids me at all costs… but you didn't…" He trailed off.

"Because I know you, Justin. I told you, I trust you more than anyone that's ever been in my life. If I thought for one second that you were with me for my time, I would have never brought you last night," He explained, his heart fluttering when Justin finally looked up from his plate and smiled at him.

"Thank you," Justin whispered.

"Don't thank me. I love you," He said, reaching across the table to hold his boyfriend's hand. He saw Justin's face relax, almost as if he was waiting to be assured that JC still loved him.

"I love you too…"

"My parents love you too. All that shit Lance said to you… my parents never said that. They felt awful about it when I told them," The elder of the two spoke, knowing that even though Justin wasn't bringing up the topic of JC going back to the party last night, he was curious to know what happened.

"Really?"

"Yeah. They personally escorted Lance out of the party," Josh told him, the smile bright on his face.

"I would've paid days to see that," Justin replied with a light chuckle.

"Oh, me too," JC laughed, before turning serious. "Seriously, Justin. They're so sorry he made you think they were like that. They don't care that you grew up with no time, and they don't think you're going to steal mine."

"Did Lance really think you weren't going to check with your parents to see if his bullshit lies were actually true?" Justin asked, trying to hold in a laugh.

"I told you, he's the stupidest person I've ever met. And he can keep trying to come between you and I but it's never going to work. You're mine," Josh told Justin, running a thumb over his hand.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that."


	12. Chapter 12

Justin loosened his blue and yellow striped tie as he sat as his desk, reviewing the rough edition of a GQ issue one of the writers had emailed him. He sighed inwardly. The first issue he'd solely edited had yet to even hit stores, yet GQ's focus was already on the next magazine. He hovered his mouse around the arrow that led him to the next page, clicking and continuing to read about the best fashion trends for the upcoming holiday season. He admired the inserted picture of a male model sporting a maroon dress shirt, which was apparently this years 'it' colour. Soon, he was startled out of his thoughts when he heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come in!" He exclaimed, quickly looking at the clock to determine if it could be Chris, but ruled it out as it was only 10:27. Chris wouldn't have time to bug him at this time. Slowly, the door opened, and GQ's head editor, Johnny Wright, peeked his head in.

"Hey Justin, you mind if I talk to you for a second?" He questioned.

"No, not at all. Come on in," Justin responded, maybe a little to quickly. He felt his palms starting to sweat as Johnny took a seat in front of him. Why would the editor in chief need to speak to him? Did he see his magazine and disapprove? Questions were flying through Justin's mind at a mile a minute, but his scrambled thoughts were soon interrupted when Johnny started speaking.

"I received your issue and…," Johnny started, and Justin nervously tapped his foot on the floor. Damn, it was like he was talking in slow motion! "I just wanted to come congratulate you. It's amazing," He finished, and Justin let out an audibly sigh of relief.

"Really?" He asked, smiling when Johnny chuckled.

"Yes. Don't get me wrong, Chris had nothing but wonderful things to say about you when he brought you in, and I saw some of your previous work, but this is beyond that. I'm really proud of you, Justin. You keep this up and you may be giving me a run for my money," The elder male teased, genuinely laughing while Justin faked his chuckle. He wanted to show Johnny he was capable of being editor in chief, but wanted to be respectful and grateful for the job he had.

"Thank you Mr. Wright," Justin smiled.

"Hey, it's Johnny," The older of the two happily corrected. "Now, I gotta ask, and pardon me if this is too personal, but I've been hearing gossip around the office that you got JC Chasez to be in the issue because you're dating him."

"I - uhm," The 23 year old started, sucking in a breath. Sure, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs that he was dating the one and only JC Chasez, but he knew what would happen if he did in the office. He wouldn't be known as 'Justin Timberlake: editor on the rise,' he would be known sole as 'JC Chasez's boyfriend,' and as much as he loved the title outside of work, he took pride in his projects and wanted some recognition for it.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It really is none of my business… I just think that you have so much potential, but everyone could use a little boost. And let me tell you, dating the richest man in New York, that's a boost. Think about it, kid," Johnny said, reaching out and offering his hand, to which Justin shook.

"I will," He responded softly, trying his best to force a smile when the editor in chief walked out.

\-----

"Dude, don't do it. I can see it now: 'GQ Magazine: Christmas Edition! Edited by: Johnny Wright, oh, and JC Chasez's boyfriend!'" Chris exclaimed after Justin had finished telling him about his conversation with Johnny. He shoved the slice of pizza into his mouth, rolling his eyes when he saw Justin staring at his whole wheat sandwich.

"I know, I know. But maybe Johnny's right. Maybe I need a little something to push me over the edge," Justin shrugged, his eyes lowered.

"Why? Let your work speak for you, J. They loved your issue. Not because you were dating JC, but because you worked your ass off and made an awesome magazine. They noticed," The 32 year old tried to assure his best friend.

"Yeah, but that was before everyone in the office found out that I was dating Josh. Now that they know, they're going to expect him to be in every issue… I can't do that to him…"

"Then deny it. Say you're just friends," Chris responded, as if it was the most simple answer.

"What if he finds out? What if people here look into it and then I get in shit for lying? Fuck, why does this have to be so hard?!" The Memphis native exclaimed.

"It doesn't have to be," Chris simply stated, and finally, Justin's eyes lifted.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're working yourself up over this whole thing for nothing. Just continue working like you always have. Talk to JC and let him know what's happening so he can lay off on the PDA here and tell Johnny that working with JC Chasez was a one time thing."

"You really think that'll work?" The younger questioned.

"I wouldn't tell you to do it if I didn't think it would work," Chris winked, taking the last bite of his pizza.

\---

"That'll never work," Britney shook her head as the two stood in the office kitchen. Justin was quickly becoming friends with the blonde, and was grateful he could now get more than one opinion on a dilemma.

"Wait, what? Chris said it would!" He defended, placing his coffee mug on the counter and giving Britney his full attention.

"Yeah, well Chris is an idiot. People are going to find out you're dating him. He's got the media following his company's every move. You don't think one time they're going to catch you two making out when you think you're in private and blast it on the front page of CNN?" She said, not trying to come off rude, but trying to get her friend to see a different perspective.

"Then what do I do?" He asked, his voice low.

"I say tell Johnny the truth. Tell him you're dating JC but that you refuse to let your personal life affect your business life. You are your own person, Justin."

"Yeah, I know, but…," He trailed off.

"But?" She encouraged, and Justin sighed.

"But I hope to be editor in chief one day, and I don't think disagreeing with Johnny Wright in any way, shape or form is going to help me get there.

"You never know, maybe he'll appreciate you standing up for yourself," The female shrugged. "Just talk to JC," She finished, and Justin nodded with a sigh.

"Thanks, Brit," He smiled, before placing a hand on her shoulder and going to the kitchen, deciding he needed another coffee.

\---

"Justin!" Chris exclaimed, not even knocking before he threw his best friend's office door open and ran in.

"Whoa, who's on fire?" Justin questioned, seeing his elder friend hunch over, trying his best to catch his breath.

"Chasez Banks," He breathed out slowly, hearing Justin's audible gasp.

"Wait, what?! The New York headquarters are on fire?! Oh my God, is Josh okay?!" The 23 year old started to question a mile a minute, already typing and googling on his computer.

"No! No, god no," Chris took a deep breath, finally able to speak without wheezing. "I just meant they're on a roll. A good type of on fire," He explained, smiling guiltily when Justin's widened blue eyes connected with his.

"You fucker," He whispered, still trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

"Oh hush," Chris responded, before walking over to Justin's computer and taking over the mouse. "You're going to like this," He smiled, watching Justin's jaw drop in shock when he clicked on what he was looking for.

"They… they fired Lance's parents?" He questioned, his voice in a confused whisper, not believing what he was reading.

"They sure did," Chris smiled brighter, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. He expected Justin to be extremely excited, to exclaim that all of his worries were gone and he could finally enjoy a quiet, peaceful life with Joshua. However, it wasn't the case.

"Fuck," He muttered with a loud sigh, lowering his head into his hands.

"Fuck? What the hell do you mean? This is great news!" Chris responded, confused at his best friend's reaction.

"No! This is terrible! Lance is going to think that they fired his parents because of me!"

"J, come on. That's not how a business runs. I highly doubt the Chasezs would let Josh's relationship with you affect their employees," The elder male spoke, although the doubt started to creep into his own mind.

"It doesn't matter! That's what Lance is going to think. God," He sighed once again, running his hands through his hair.

"Hey, just talk to JC," Chris spoke, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Like I haven't heard that today," He mumbled into his hands, grateful that Chris didn't hear.

\----

"God, baby. You're tense as hell," Josh commented later that evening, rubbing his boyfriend's shoulders as they sat on the couch.

"Long day," He breathed slowly, closing his eyes.

"Everything okay?" JC asked seriously, slightly turning Justin towards him so that they were face to face. Justin inhaled, wanting to pretend like everything was okay, but he knew better.

"No," He admitted softly, and instantly, Josh frowned.

"What's wrong?" The slightly elder male questioned, taking his boyfriend's hand in his own and pressing a kiss to it. Justin took a deep breath, his eyes slowly raising to meet Josh's.

"Did you fire Lance's parents because of me?" The Memphis native whispered, not even wanting to make eye contact with his boyfriend.

"Is that what you're worried about?" Josh asked, slightly chuckling. "Sweetheart, firing Lance's parents had nothing to do with you. We found out they were tampering company time," The 28 year old explained, when Justin finally raised his eyes.

"Really?"

"Really. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did," He teased, causing Justin to chuckle.

"I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed hearing about it," Justin smiled, leaning forward and pressing his lips towards Joshua's.

"I love you," JC spoke.

"I love you too," Justin replied, before sighing.

"I don't like the sound of that," Josh said.

"It's just work… the editor in chief asked me to consider going public with our relationship to bring in readers, and it's stupid, because it's not like I don't love you or I don't want everyone to know we're together but -"

"You don't want people to know you only as JC Chasez's boyfriend. And you shouldn't. You're an amazing editor, Justin. I would hate to see you be recognized at work for any less than your talent," Josh cut him off, knowing it was hard for Justin to say.

"So you don't think I'm hiding our relationship?" He asked, more to voice his own concerns.

"Of course not. I know you love me, you don't have to wear it on your forehead," He chuckled, kissing his lover's forehead for emphasis

"Thanks, Josh," Justin honestly said, leaning his head on the elder's shoulder. "And hey, if you ever do want me to wear that I love you on my forehead, just go buy me a permanent marker."


	13. Chapter 13

It was now several weeks later, the GQ office was running smoothly, the next issue was submitted for approval, and Justin sat at his desk, enjoying the somewhat quiet office. He pulled up the sleeve of his maroon dress shirt and smiled softly, seeing 125 years on his arm. Josh had attempted to give Justin the years several times, but each time, the younger refused. It wasn't until one morning when Justin woke up that he realized that Josh had given him the time in his sleep. When the 23 year old asked him about it, he just smiled and kissed him gently, stating that he gave the time to Justin simply because he loved him. He knew Justin could earn his time, but he just 'felt like' giving him the time. Justin chuckled softly before thanking his boyfriend, kissing him once more. Smiling, he turned to the pictures he had recently placed on his desk of him and Joshua, running his fingers over the smooth glass. Justin decided that he wasn't going to hide his relationship from his coworkers, but he made it clear that having his boyfriend be a part of GQ issues was not going to be a regular occurrence, nor did he want it to be made public to the readers. The office, especially Johnny, respected his decision and praised him for his work ethic. He smiled at the memory, and was quickly brought out of his thoughts when his door was thrown open, and Britney rushed in.

"Justin!" She exclaimed, the bright smile on her face. Justin looked up from his pictures, an amused look on his face.

"Woah, take a breather," He teased with a slight chuckle.

"Sorry!" The blonde breathed, taking a few deep breaths before sitting in the chair in front of Justin's desk. "I just got a call for this huge gig! The Old Town Bar wants me to do some promo shots for their website!" She happily exclaimed, and Justin's face lit up. The Old Town Bar was not only one of the nicest bars in New York, but it was also where he met Josh.

"That's awesome, Brit! Congrats!"

"Thanks! I do have to go there kind of late though, they want pictures at their peak time, which makes sense. Did you wanna come? We can get drinks afterwards and just hang out," She offered, and Justin smiled. Besides Chris, who was currently on a trip recruiting new employees, Britney had become his closest friend in the office.

"I'd love to. Maybe we can find you a man," He winked, and Britney giggled.

"Yeah right. Not everyone meets their soulmate there," She teased, in reference to Josh and Justin's relationship.

"Hey, you never know," Justin shrugged. "You going tonight?"

"Yeah, they want me there around 11," Britney replied.

"Cool. I'll probably get ready and Josh's and see if he wants to come. I can pick you up at your place around 10:30?" He suggested, and Britney smiled.

"That'd be great. Thanks, Jus."

\-----

"Aw, baby, you know I'd love to. But I have this late meeting to go to with some of our stock holders tonight," Josh spoke when Justin came over after work. The elder sat on his bed, watching Justin sort through the array of ties he brought over. He'd decided he was going to keep his maroon dress shirt on for the night, but wanted to switch up the tie. JC chuckled at how adorable his boyfriend was, before leaning back onto his pillows and watching the younger line his ties up by colour and length, analyzing them.

"Hey, it's okay. I'd just thought I'd ask. I'm really just going to keep Brit company," Justin replied, turning to JC briefly, offering him a bright smile, to which JC quickly returned.

"Rain check?"

"Of course," The 23 year old absentmindedly replied, focusing on his navy blue and bright blue tie. Josh chuckled as he shook his head, standing up and heading towards his closet before returning to his boyfriend's side.

"Here," He said, holding a glossy black tie in his hands. Justin's eyes shifted to the piece of fabric, noting the designer name on the collar.

"Josh -" He started, but was soon interrupted.

"Sh, you really think I'm going to sit here and let you rack your brains over a tie?" The 28 year old stifled a laugh, before reaching up and doing the tie up under Justin's maroon collar. "Besides, black goes much better with maroon," He pointed out, placing a kiss on his lover's forehead.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one that works at a fashion magazine?" Justin teased, wrapping his arms around JC's torso and leaning his head on his chest.

"Hey, even the best of us could use some help once in a while," He joked back, pressing a kiss into Justin's growing curls.

"Very funny," Justin said, before pulling away and looking at his watch. "I should start heading to Britney's."

"You want me to ask Kevin to drive you guys?" JC asked, the concern slightly peaking through, to which Justin just smiled.

"No, it's okay. I'm not planning on drinking tonight. Like I said, I just didn't want Brit to go by herself," He explained, and Josh nodded.

"Okay. If you need me to send him to pick you guys up you just call me and let me know, alright? I'll make sure to keep my phone on all night."

"Thanks," Justin smiled, feeling his heart flutter as he looked into Josh's eyes.

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you too," The Memphis native smiled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to JC's lips before smiling and turning away.

\----

Justin watched with amusement as Britney attempted to pull down her skirt and throw her equipment bag over her shoulder as they stood in line to get into the club.

"Here," He finally offered with a laugh, taking the bag from her and tossing it over his own shoulder.

"Thanks," She giggled, finally pulled her black leather skirt down. "You know, I never truly thought about the implications of taking pictures at a club."

"You mean you never thought about how hard it would be to dress slutty yet still do your job?" He teased, and received a playful smack in the chest.

"Justin!" She exclaimed through laughter, knowing her friend was only messing with her.

"Hey! It's not a bad thing! You're single and you look hot!" He defended as the blonde continued to laugh, rolling her eyes.

"Well, not everyone is dating JC Chasez," She responded.

"And thank god for that!" Justin winked, before the reached the bouncer.

"Britney Spears, I was told to come to take some promo shots for your guys' website," Britney politely spoke. The bouncer looked down at his clipboard and nodded, opening the rope for her to enter. She then turned to Justin. "He's with me."

"Name, sir?" The deep voice asked.

"Justin Timberlake," He responded.

"Come on in," The larger man spoke, neither Britney or Justin noticing the smirk that appeared on his face.

\----

"Can I get a coke, please?" Justin asked as he sat at the bar, turning to Britney, whose eyebrows furrowed when the drink was placed in front of him. Neither of them noticed the black haired, tall, muscular male who reached over, watching the white tablet fizzle into Justin's drink with a smirk.

"A coke?" Britney asked with a giggle.

"Yes, a coke. I did drive here," He responded, swivelling in his stool to grab the drink in front of him, taking a sip.

"You're no fun," She pouted, and Justin chuckled.

"Don't you have a job to do?" The Memphis native teased, a strange feeling running through his body when he went to raise his arm to take Britney's bag off his shoulder.

"You okay?" She quickly questioned, helping him with the bag before taking it into her own arms.

"Yeah. I'm fine," He played it off, taking another sip of his cold beverage. "Just go do a kick ass job and I'll look for future Mr. Spears," Justin smiled.

"Fuck off," Britney teased, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Justin's cheek. "Meet you here?"

"Meet you here," He replied, waiting for Britney to turn around and walk away before blinking a few times, attempting to prevent the dizziness he felt coming on. "What the fuck?"

\----

It was roughly two hours later when Britney finished taking her pictures and headed through the crowded dance floor to meet up with Justin. When she finally made her way to the bar, she was confused, as she noted her friend sitting in the same spot, but his elbows were on the table, his head in his hands.

"Justin?" She questioned, not prepared for him to almost fall into her arms when he spun around in his stool.

"Brit," He slurred, gripping onto the female for balance. When he finally felt like he could sit up, his eyes raised, and Britney gasped at how glassy they were.

"Jesus Christ, J. You okay?

"Don't feel good," Justin breathed, the sweat beading on his pale face. Britney started to panic, wondering what had happened to her friend since she had been gone.

"Okay, sweetie. Okay, it's okay," The blonde tried to comfort when Justin almost fell over once again. She rubbed his back gently. "You're shaking."

"'M cold," He whispered into her hair.

"Let's get you home and all warm in bed. Do you think you can stand up?" She questioned, looking at anyone near by, hoping someone knew what happened. Her first thought was that he was drunk, but she'd been around a drunk Justin before, and this wasn't him. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Justin's torso, bringing him to his feet and doing her best to support his weight when he leaned against her.

"Josh," Justin wheezed, sounding like the wind had been knocked out of him.

"Shh, I know Justy. I know. I'm going to get you to Josh," Britney cooed, placing Justin's arm around her thin shoulder, one of her arms around his waist, the other firmly on his stomach. Slowly, the two made their way outside of the club when Britney stopped. "Justin, I'm going to go get the car and bring it up front for you. Do you think you'll be okay to wait here for a few minutes?" She questioned, helping him sit against the wall of the entrance.

"Yeah," He replied, the dizziness making him feel sick to his stomach.

"Okay. I'll be fast, I promise," She said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Justin's head before sprinting towards where Justin had parked. Justin sat heavily against the wall, attempting to focus on his breathing rather than his urge to throw up. He kept his head in his hands, until he heard a voice in front of him.

"Hey, man. You okay?" A deep voice asked, and when Justin slowly raised his glassy, blurry eyes, he made out three figures in front of him, all wearing black hoodies.

"Fine," He responded, just thinking the three were by passers. However, they continued.

"Stand up," One commanded.

"No," Justin simply replied, knowing he couldn't stand on his own even if he wanted to.

"Fine. You know, this is going to be a whole lot easier than I thought," One said, grabbing Justin's elbow and yanking him to his feet. The 23 year old stumbled in an attempt to catch his balance.

"You know Lance Bass?" Another questioned, and Justin's eyes shifted.

"Yes," He gulped, and somewhere in his disoriented state, he knew that the entire night had something to do with Lance.

"This is for getting his parents fired," The voice said, and Justin didn't even know where it came from before a fist was flying at his face, knocking him off his feet. He lay on the floor, his hands covering his face. He was too uncoordinated to attempt to fight back when the figures repeatedly stomped on his ribs before their hands fisted into his curls, throwing his head into the wall. It only took one blow for Justin to be unconscious, the hooded men releasing him and watching him slump to the cold concrete, the blood already pooling around his golden curls.

"Man, he went out quick," One commented.

"What did you expect? There's a reason Lance paid us to drug him," The other replied, lifting Justin's forearm and pulling up his sleeve before turning his hand, taking Justin's time.

"Careful. Lance said to leave him with an hour," The third said, the other nodded before he made sure Justin had exactly an hour left, before dropping his arm to the sidewalk.

"Let's get out of here before blondie comes back," The first spoke, the other two nodded as they sprinted away just before Britney pulled Justin's car to the entrance of the club. She hopped out of the driver's seat and gasped as loud as she could, noticing the 23 year old laying motionless on the concrete, a pool of blood around his red tainted curls. She audible sobbed as she dove to her knees beside her friend, lifting his head into her lap.

"Justin," She cried, her thumb caressing the man's cheek. "Jus, come on, please be okay..," She continued to sob, trying to piece together what happened. But when she raised her friend's forearm and noticed he had an hour left, she screamed, somewhat realizing that Justin was attacked. "It's okay, Justin. You're going to be okay," The blonde spoke, wrapping one arm around Justin's shoulder, the other reaching into her pocket to call 911.

\---

"Well, thank you," Josh spoke as he sat across from several stock holders. The night had been good. The holders all expressed their satisfaction with the position of Chasez Banks, and they all explained that they planned to keep their stocks. JC smiled as he sipped his beer, checking his phone. He found it somewhat odd that Justin hadn't texted him at all, but figured he and Britney were having too much fun and forced himself not to get worried. As if on cue, his phone started to ring, and he frowned, not recognizing the number on the screen. "Excuse me," Josh announced, before stepping away from the table and bringing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"JC! JC, it's Britney," The female spoke, her voice cracking through her tears.

"Britney? What's going on?" JC questioned, and in that moment, for some reason, he felt uneasy.

"J - Justin. Justin was attacked tonight outside the c - club," She sobbed, and Josh felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"What? I -Is he okay?" The 28 year old whispered, already walking over to where he hung up his coat.

"I don't know… I called 911 and they froze his time… he had an hour left when I found him. H - his head was bleeding a - and he was unconscious," She sniffled.

"Oh my God," He breathed, tears coming to his eyes as he thought about his sweet, innocent boyfriend getting hurt.

"They brought him to NY hospital," Britney said, knowing how worried JC must have been getting.

"I'm on my way."


	14. Chapter 14

Josh barely waited for the car he was in to come to a complete stop, before mumbling his thanks to the driver and slamming the door shut. He noticed the bright red letters spelling out 'Emergency Room' and instantly sprinted through the doors, searching for any sign of Justin or Britney. He finally spotted the blonde, sitting in one of the blue plastic chairs in the waiting room, her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Carefully, Josh approached her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She slowly lifted her red-trimmed eyes and let out a sob when she saw JC.

"JC," She breathed, standing up and throwing herself into the older's arms. "I'm so sorry," She cried, holding onto him as if he were her lifeline.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Josh replied, bringing one hand up to his face, wiping his own tears. Britney sniffled, pulling away and sitting back down, to which JC followed suite.

"I shouldn't have left him to go get the car… but… he couldn't walk. Fuck, he couldn't even stand," The blonde explained.

"What do you mean?" JC whispered.

"I…I think he was drugged… I left him for about an hour and a half and when I got back to him he couldn't even focus on me or stand up… I helped him walk to the front of the club and had him sit against the wall while I went to get the car… and -" She stopped, closing her eyes. "When I got back…"

"Sh, I know," He stopped her, not wanting her to repeat how he found his boyfriend. "Have you… have you heard anything?"

"No," She sighed, looking down. "I should probably call Chris…"

"I should call Joey too," He sighed, but couldn't even bring himself to grab his phone out of his coat pocket. He felt paralyzed. Numb that Justin was somewhere in that hospital, hurt, and JC couldn't get to him. Couldn't hold his hand and kiss him, letting him know how sorry he was for not going with he and Britney. Sorry that this happened. Finally, he gained enough strength, grabbing his phone and dealing his best friend's number.

"Hello?" The Italian answered, and that was all it took for the tears that Josh was holding in to fall from his eyes.

"Joey…," JC choked through a sob.

"Jayce? Hey, man. What's going on?" He asked, the concern flooding his voice.

"Justin… J - Justin was attacked tonight. I'm at NY hospital," The 28 year old cried, rubbing a hand down his face.

"Oh my God, is he okay?" Joey instantly asked, already slipping on his running shoes.

"I don't know… they - they haven't said anything. God, my baby… I should've been there for him," Josh whispered.

"Hey, it's not your fault. You had no way of knowing something like this was going to happen," He assured. "I'm on my way, okay?"

"Okay."

\---

It was roughly two hours later, and Josh hadn't moved from his spot in the waiting room. He shifted his grainy eyes to see Britney sitting across from him, her head resting on Chris' shoulder while the elder rubbed her arm gently, whispering that Justin would be okay. That it wasn't her fault. Josh smiled sadly at the two, grateful that Justin's friends cared so deeply for him and for each other. He silently rubbed his face when Joey placed a gentle hand on his knee.

"He's going to be okay," He softly spoke.

"He didn't deserve this, Joey…"

"You're right. He didn't. But it happened. And when you see him, he's going to be scared and confused and you need to be there for him. You can't let him see how broken you are over this… because I guarantee you he's going to be broken enough for the two of you," JC's best friend explained.

"He's right…," Chris spoke up, raising his eyes to JC's. "He knows you're going to blame yourself, and he's going to feel terrible for it," The eldest said, knowing Justin all too well. Josh nodded sadly, lowering his head, just to whip it back up when a tall, brunette doctor appeared in front of them.

"You guys here for Justin Timberlake?" He asked, and JC instantly sprung to his feet.

"Yes! Yes, I'm his boyfriend. How is he?" The 28 year old questioned, feeling his heart beat against his chest.

"He took some pretty rough blows to the head and has a concussion. He's still unconscious right now, but when he wakes up, we'll need to keep him up for a while. He has a small breathing tube for the time being, but don't let it intimidate you. It's just there for some extra support until we're fully confident all his energy is off of the concussion. We still have his time frozen, but we've called the time bank and they should be here soon with some time," The young doctor explained, watching as JC slowly nodded, trying to process what he was hearing.

"Can we… can we see him?" He timidly asked.

""Sure. I'll take you to his room," The physician spoke, turning around and starting to lead the way. Josh followed, but soon noticed no one else was and turned around.

"Aren't you guys coming?" He questioned.

"We'll be there in a bit, C. You deserve some alone time with him," Chris responded, seeing Josh's sad smile.

"Okay, then let's go," The doctor spoke, smiling slightly at Josh before stopping in front of room 117. "This is Justin's room. I suggest talking to him as much as possible, it might help him drift into consciousness when he knows people he love are around," He suggested, and JC nodded.

"Okay. Thanks Doc," JC smiled small, before taking a deep breath and wrapping his fingers around the handle. Slowly, he pushed open the door, letting out a choked sob when his eyes laid on his boyfriend and he approached his bedside. Justin was laying motionless, his usually tanned skin pale, a bandage wrapped around his head, a tube in his mouth, and the arm with his life clock bruised, signifying it was frozen. Josh shut his eyes as tightly as he possible could, the slow tears running down his cheek. He pulled the chair up to Justin's bedside, sitting down and grabbing his lover's limp, cold hand on his own. "I'm so, so sorry, baby," Josh whispered, his thumb caressing the clammy skin. "I should've never let this happen to you… god, Justin… I love you so much… please be okay…," He cried, lowering his head to place a small kiss on Justin's shoulder. When he pulled his head up, he brought Justin's hand to his cheek, cooing that although he knew he was hurting, he looked beautiful, and he would do anything to see those blue eyes he loved so much. Josh got so wrapped up in talking to an unconscious lover and staring at his chest slowly rise and fall, he didn't notice Joey, Britney and Chris lightly knock on the door an hour later. When he did, he sniffled, turning to the three. "Hey, come in," He softly spoke, watching them timidly walk into the room, the frowns on their faces when the noticed Justin.

"That tube is really freaking me out…," Chris commented. And sure, Justin didn't look healthy by any means in that moment, but the breathing tube made his stomach turn. When paired with Justin's pale skin, it made him look almost deathly ill, sending chills down Chris' spine. Justin looked utterly helpless. He turned to Britney, who hadn't said a word since entering the room, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"He's going to be okay," She announced, her voice less shaky than it was before.

"Yes he is. He's a fighter," Joey agreed.

""He's my fighter," Josh softly added, kissing Justin's knuckles gently, before whispering, "I love you."

\---

JC woke up the next morning and rolled his stiff neck, no doubt from the night of spending all night in the plastic chair next to Justin's bed. Joey, Chris and Britney left around midnight, leaving JC alone with Justin. The 28 year old stared at his lover's face for almost an hour, searching for any sign that the younger was waking up.

"It's okay, baby. It's just you and me now. No one can hurt you," He whispered, his thumb caressing Justin's pale cheek. However, he received no response. Finally, after kissing his cheek and knuckles gently, Josh leaned back in the chair, falling into a restless sleep. He awoke to Justin's nurse checking his vitals, and rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning, Mr. Chasez," She softly spoke, checking on the IV that had been placed into Justin's arm. JC's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't remember the needle being there before.

"Morning…," He said, stretching. "What's that?"

"The night nurse reported that Mr. Timberlake was getting dehydrated when she last checked on him so we're going to put him on an IV. It's just for fluids," The aubrey haired female explained, smiling as she noted the admiration on Josh's face.

"Shouldn't he have woken up by now?" He questioned, frowning when he looked Justin over, noting he was in the same position as when he fell asleep.

"Concussions are different for everyone. Some people wake up from them faster than others. I'm also going to guess that the drugs in his system are still filtering out," She responded, and shit. Josh forgot about that.

"So… he was drugged?" The raven haired male sighed, catching on that the attack on his boyfriend was too planned for his liking.

"We found rohypnol in his system when he was brought in. We pumped it out, but it still takes time to leave the bloodstream."

"Rohypnol?" Josh asked.

"That's the pharmaceutical name of the date rape drug. We think someone slipped it into his drink so that he was unable to fight back against his attackers," She explained, and Josh sighed heavily. "I have to change the gauze around his head… did you want to help me out?" She asked, getting the sense that the young man would be more than willing to help. She was proved right when JC rose to his feet.

"Of course. What can I do?"

"Can you please hold his head up so I can make sure the wrap is on tightly?" The nurse questioned, and JC looked at her, his blue eyes shining with concern.

"Are you sure it's okay to be touching his head? I mean, with the concussion and the cut and everything?" He asked shyly. Josh had been avoiding touching anywhere near Justin's forehead because he wasn't sure if it would cause any more harm. The nurse smiled sweetly, seeing the love shining in her eyes.

"It's okay to touch him there, honey. As long as you're really gentle," She responded. JC nodded, sitting on the bed and pulling Justin into his arms, holding the back of his neck so the nurse could properly secure the bandage.

"I love you, Justin," Josh whispered, his eyes focusing on the closed ones of Justin's. It was the closest he'd been to his lover since he was brought into the emergency room, and he thought maybe, just maybe, them being face to face would help Justin come back to him. "I bet you're loving everyone waiting on you hand and foot, huh babe?" He teased. The nurse smiled at the comment, securing the wrap around Justin's head.

"There we go," She announced, and slowly, Josh guided Justin's head back onto the pillow, kissing his forehead. "Can I get you anything, JC? Water? Some food?" She offered, and Josh smiled politely.

"No thanks," He declined, too worried about Justin to eat.

"You know, you need to keep your energy up so you can take care of Justin," The redhead pointed out, and JC sighed, knowing she was right.

"I'll take a coffee."

\---

"Hey, C," Chris spoke walking into Justin's room with Joey about an hour later.

"Hey guys," Josh replied, turning to his friends.

"How's sleeping beauty doing this morning?" Joey questioned, frowning when Justin didn't appear to look any better than the previous day.

"Still hasn't kicked the damn concussion, and they noticed he was low on fluids last night so they put him on an IV" JC sighed, sipping his coffee before scrunching his eyebrows. "Where's Brit?" He asked, noticing the blonde was missing.

"She got called down to the police station. They know they can't start a full investigation until the get Justin's statement, but they wanted to at least get hers," Chris sighed.

"The nurse told me he was drugged and they think it was to stop Justin from fighting his attackers back…," JC explained, running his hand through his hair, shaking his head.

"You think he was targeted?" The eldest of the group questioned, his worried eyes turning to JC's.

"This was too planned out to just be a random attack for his time."

"You don't think…" Joey started, and Josh quickly interrupted him.

""I don't think… I know Lance had something to do with it. And he's going to pay."


	15. Chapter 15

Josh spent the next two days sitting by Justin's bedside, holding his hand and whispering how much he loved him. He would kiss his forehead every night before he went to sleep, praying that soon, Justin would be ready to come back to him. He knew he was probably terrified, but Josh whispered his promises to protect him. The doctors ensured him his lack of consciousness was due to Justin's difficulty kicking the concussion, rather than any other health issues. On Wednesday, JC fell asleep with Justin's hand within his own, and was woken up around 2am when he felt the hand moving, and was fully awake when he heard Justin whimpering.

"Hey. Hey, baby. It's okay," JC cooed, placing a kiss to Justin's knuckles. The younger continued to whimper softly, his head slightly shifting. "That's it, Justin. Come back to me," He whispered, unable to contain the sob that escaped when finally, Justin's blue eyes fluttered open, focusing on Josh. "Hi sweetheart," JC cooed, the tears shining in his eyes. He could see Justin searching the brightly lit room, the confusion filling his pale face. "It's okay. You're in the hospital," He answered Justin's unasked question, frowning when he realized the breathing tube was prohibiting him from talking. "Let's see if they can take that out for you," He spoke softly, reaching beside Justin's head to press the call bell for the nurse. Soon, the same redheaded nurse that Josh had come to know walked into the room.

"Mr. Timberlake! So lovely to see you awake," She said with a smile, while the younger male just stared at her. "Let's make sure all your vitals are okay before we take that breathing tube out," She announced, walking over to the screen that had been monitoring Justin's vital signs. She noted them on her chart, before smiling at Justin. "Okay, Justin, we're going to take the breathing tube out now. When I count to three I'm going to ask that you breath out as hard as you can," She explained, watching as Justin reached for Josh's hand. JC happily took it within his own, pressing a kiss to it.

"I'm right here," He assured softly, smiling when his lover's eyes shifted to him.

"Okay, Justin. 1, 2, and 3," The nurse announced, and Justin did what he was told, blowing out as hard as he could. The tube was removed and the 23 year old instantly started coughing. The auburn-haired female offered him a cup of water, raising the bed so that he was somewhat sitting. Justin finished sipping the cool liquid, before turning to look at the nurse, waiting for further instructions. "Now, Justin. We're going to need you to stay up for a while so we can monitor your concussion," The nurse explained, seeing Justin frown.

"Time?" He managed to croak, his voice low and raspy.

"It's 2:30am," She replied, watching as Justin's eyes slightly widened, not expecting to hear that answer. He then turned to Josh.

"Go to sleep," The 23 year old breathed, knowing that there was no reason for his boyfriend to be up at that time. JC just chuckled.

"I'm fine, baby. I want to spend some time with you… I missed you," Josh replied, rubbing his thumb against Justin's knuckles.

"Missed you," Justin responded. He had quickly found it how much it hurt to talk, and decided to reduce his responses.

"I'll be back to check on you before the day nurse come in," The red haired female spoke up, excusing herself from the room. When it was just Josh and Justin, Josh didn't even know where to begin. He'd been waiting for Justin to wake up for days, and now that it had actually happened, he wasn't sure what to do.

"How are you feeling?" He decided to ask.

"Head hurts."

"I know, babe. You want me to see if they can get you some painkillers?" Josh questioned, ready to push the call ball, only to feel Justin's hand on his arm.

"No… want to talk," The Memphis native said, and JC nodded.

"Okay. We can talk."

"What happened?" Justin questioned, his tired eyes raising to meet the loving, worried blue ones of his boyfriend, who sighed.

"You were attacked outside of a club…," JC started, and when Justin still looked confused, he continued. "Britney got a call to take some promo pictures for the Old Town Bar and you went with her, because you didn't want her to go by herself…. I couldn't go… I had this stupid meeting with some of our stock holders," He explained, smiling small when Justin squeezed his hand gently, knowing it was his way of telling him not to blame himself. "She left you at the bar and someone slipped something into your drink. When Britney got back, she said you couldn't even stand up… she helped you walk outside and went to go get the car… that's when you were attacked," The 28 year old recalled what Britney had told him, the tears welling up in his eyes. "You were out for four days… god, I was so worried, Justin. So scared… they kept telling me you were having trouble kicking the concussion but fuck… I was so terrified you were never going to come back to me. I thought I lost you…," He finished in a whisper, the tears sliding down his cheek.

"You'll never lose me…," Justin whispered back, ignoring how much it hurt to say a full sentence. But he didn't care. Josh needed to know that he wasn't going anywhere.

"I love you so much, and I'm so thankful you're going to be okay…"

"I love you too," Justin softly replied, his eyes lowering slightly as the guilt started to overtake him.

Several hours had gone by, and by the sun starting to peek through Justin's hospital room along with the night nurse clocking out, he could tell it was early morning. He glanced at Josh briefly, who had finally fallen asleep roughly an hour ago. Justin sighed as he watched his lover, hating the thought of him being so worried about him. He knew Josh would blame himself for the attack, and Justin's heart broke at the thought. It was Justin who should be blamed. He knew he had more time than most people walking the streets, and he should've been more careful with it. Should've watched his back more. He felt tears welling up in his own eyes, slowly raising his left arm, releasing a sob when he noticed his time was frozen at an hour. He felt so tired, so drained and exhausted, but wasn't allowed to sleep. Soon, the day nurse walked in, her clipboard in hand.

"Hi, Mr. Timberlake. I was so thrilled to hear from Nurse Heather that you were awake!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone, smiling at Josh. "JC is still here, huh? He hasn't left your side since you were brought in," The blonde explained, and soon, the tears fell from his own eyes. He felt so guilty.

"Can you… can you move him so he can get some more sleep?" Justin asked, his throat hurting a lot less when he spoke. He knew Josh was somewhat of a deep sleeper, but it couldn't have been too comfortable trying to sleep in a room where people were coming on and out of every hour, not to mention the constant beeping of the machines. Justin had almost nodded off himself a few times, but was instantly coaxed back into reality by the beeping.

"Oh, honey. Of course. I'll go see which room has an empty bed," She replied with a smile, seeing the worry on the young man's face.

"Thanks," Justin mumbled. She nodded, before walking over to his IV site, inserting a syringe. "It's safe enough for you to get some time now. We got 5 years for you. I know it's nothing compared to what you have before…," She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Hey, it's better than nothing," Justin smiled small at her, watching the green text flicker up to 5 years and 1 hour, before starting to tick down again. The nurse smiled at him, grateful the young patient appeared so positive. She had noticed the tears escaping his eyes when she first walked in, and knew that most patients were disoriented, emotional and confused when first waking up, but she made a mental note to keep an eye on the young man.

—

Justin sat, staring blankly at the sheets, attempting to calm himself down. He had let the guilt of the entire situation overtake him, and since Josh had been moved to another room for some peace and quiet, he was finally able to express the guilt. He cried softly around 8am, and prayed that Josh would forgive him for being so careless with his time around 8:30. Around 9, Joey, Chris and Britney walked in, an extra coffee in their hands for Josh.

"Hey Jay - holy shit," Joey spoke, his jaw dropping when he saw Justin's blue eyes shift towards them.

"Justin! You're awake!" Britney exclaimed, rushing over to the bed and throwing herself into the 23 year old's arms.

"Hey Brit," Justin responded, wrapping the arm that didn't have the IV in it around her.

"You're okay," She breathed out, so unbelievably happy that her friend was finally conscious.

"I'm okay," He repeated, knowing Britney needed to hear him say it. Soon, Joey and Chris too approached his bed, each bringing him into a gentle embrace.

"Man, you gave us quite the scare," Chris announced, and Justin smiled, knowing it was his best friend's way of admitting he was terrified.

"Yeah. How's the head?" Joey questioned.

"Hurts. I woke up around 2am and they haven't let me go back to sleep because they wanted to monitor the concussion," He explained, and Chris could tell that Justin was overtired and frustrated.

"Poor baby can't go back to sleep after being knocked out for four days," The eldest teased, earning a small laugh and a genuine smile from Justin.

"Where's JC?" Joey asked, looking around the room, knowing the 28 year old hand't left his boyfriend's side since he arrived.

"He fell asleep around 3:30 and I had the nurses move him so he could get a better night's sleep without all the annoying beeping," He responded.

"You seem to know your time pretty well," Britney teased.

"Well hey, it's either stare at the sheets, the wall or the clock," Justin shrugged with a chuckle.

"Here. Maybe this'll help you stay awake," The Italian spoke, handing Justin the coffee originally intended for JC.

"Thanks, Joey," Justin gratefully took it, taking a sip of the hot liquid. The three each found their spot to sit in the room, trying to distract Justin from the fact that he wasn't allowed to fall asleep. Every time they noticed him beginning to nod off, one of them would clap, clear their throat or shake him.

"Sorry, man," Joey and Chris would softly say, while Britney just offered a sympathetic smile. Justin would rub his eyes tiredly, before thanking whoever it was that woke him up and attempting to jump back into the conversation. They all talked softly about their worries for Justin and Britney apologized multiple times, only to have Justin tell her none of it was her fault, and he still loved her. It was around 11:30 when Josh finally walked back into the room, looking more refreshed than he had in four days.

"Hey guys," He spoke with a soft voice.

"Hey JC," Joey, Chris and Britney replied, each with bright smiles. Slowly, Josh made his way over to Justin's bed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Hi baby," He whispered.

"Hi," Justin responded, his heart fluttering at the sight of his boyfriend.

"Trying to get rid of me last night?" Josh teased, sitting on the bed directly in front of Justin.

"You needed a good night's sleep. I don't know how you got any sleep at all with these damn machines in here," The Memphis native responded with a light chuckle, as JC leaned forward, kissing Justin's still bandaged forehead.

"Well thank you, sweetheart… You look exhausted," The 28 year old whispered, turning serious as he raised a thumb to caress Justin's cheek, and as if on cue, the nurse walked back in.

"Wow, Justin. You have quite the fan club," The same blonde nurse announced with a bright smile, before turning to JC. "And JC, how was your sleep?"

"It was wonderful. Thank you," Josh replied, feeling Justin fiddling with his fingers.

"I'm glad to hear that. I just wanted to come in and let you know that your concussion seems to be doing well, so you can sleep for a while. I'm going to have one of your friends wake you up every couple hours just to make sure you're still doing okay," She said, and Justin looked up.

"Oh thank God," He spoke, and the entire room laughed.

"I'll be back soon to come check on you, but it seems like you're in some pretty good hands," The nurse said with a smile, leaving the room.

"Josh?" Justin questioned, his tired, blue eyes raising to meet JC's.

"Yeah?"

"Will you lie down with me?" The 23 year old asked, just wanting to be near his boyfriend, craving the closeness.

"Of course, baby," Josh responded, shifting himself and Justin so that they were both lying down. Justin's head laid on Josh's chest, his arms wrapped around his torso. "Get some rest," The elder of the two spoke, kissing Justin's bandaged forehead.

"I love you," Justin spoke, already on the verge of sleep.

"I love you too," JC responded, sighing with relief when Justin's breathing evened out, and indication that he was asleep. Slowly, Josh raised his sad, tearful eyes to meet Joey, Britney and Chris. "I don't know what to do…"


	16. Chapter 16

"C… what do you mean?" Joey questioned, his tone slow.

"I can't do this to him… I can't just put a big target on his back and not expect my enemies to become his enemies," Josh explained, the tears slowly sliding down his cheeks as he looked down at his peaceful lover.

"Hey, no one's forcing Justin to stay in the relationship. He's with you because he wants to be," The Italian responded.

"He's with me because he doesn't understand how dangerous my life is… and I don't know if I can let him find out," He spoke, his voice shaky.

"No," Chris spoke up, causing JC's head to whip to him.

"No?" He repeated, and the eldest stood up, the anger coming to his face.

"No. You're not doing this. You're not going to break Justin's heart because you're scared. God, if you thought he cared one bit about how dangerous your life was, he would've left you when Lance tried to turn your parents against him. I know him. If he had to go through his attack all over again just to be with you, he would. You want to feel guilty that this happened to him? Go right ahead. Hell, I feel guilty that this happened to him. But I'm not going to let you sit here and ruin his life," The 32 year old finished, his fists clenched.

"Chris…" JC started, only to be interrupted.

"What, JC?!" His tone a lot more aggressive than even he expected.

"Jesus Christ, I never said I was breaking up with him! You think I want him out of my life?! He's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I don't want to let him go! But how shitty of a person would I be if I just let him get hurt because of me!? If I just sat back and watched while he gets the shit kicked out of him for even being associated with me?!" He exclaimed back.

"Guys," Britney tried with a sigh, knowing Justin had just fallen asleep and he needed rest. Not only that, but she couldn't see the point of arguing. JC loved Justin, and Chris knew that. Chris was Justin's best friend, and JC knew that too.

"But you're not just sitting back! You being here is all that he could ask for!" Chris continued, then deeply sighed and lowered his voice. "JC… I get your point, I really do. I appreciate you caring about his safety. And I can tell how much you love Justin but I'm telling you. This," He gestured to the room. "He can survive. If you leave him, I guarantee you he won't. You have no idea how much that kid loves you…," He said, and JC frowned, looking down once again at his sleeping lover.

"I think I do. And that's what scares me," He sighed. He knew he needed to talk to Justin to express how he felt. He loved him too much to keep his feelings bottled up, but for right now, all he was focused on was his lover getting better.

\---

The hospital staff decided to keep Justin for a few extra days, after JC reported having some trouble waking him up every few hours. Justin was typically a light sleeper, so when it was time for JC to wake him up just to make sure he was coherent, he would lightly shake him and whisper in his ear. Usually, it would be just enough for Justin's eyes to slowly open, but JC hadn't gotten an immediate response, so he panicked, bolting for the call bell. Either Heather, the auburn haired nurse, or Bailey, the blonde nurse would run into the room and finally, after several minutes and attempts, Justin would awake. His confused eyes would shift around the room, not knowing what had happened until Joshua wrapped him into a tight embrace, whispering "thank god," repeatedly, kissing his curls. Justin would just stare at him and everyone in the room with confusion, and it was then that JC would whisper.

"I couldn't wake you up," He explained through tears, his voice shaky. Justin would just sigh, his eyes lowering, his arms wrapping around his trembling boyfriend's shoulders.

"I'm okay. It's okay," The 23 year old would breathe, the guilt crawling within him that Josh was so hurt and worried. It always took him a few minutes of holding Justin, but JC would slowly relax, before briefly pulling away from Justin, as if to get a good look at him.

"I wish we knew why this keeps happening… it scares the life out of me," JC would say, and all Justin could do was nod.

"I know, Josh.. I know," The Memphis native would reply. They'd done endless tests and brain scans on Justin, and determined the concussion was healing as it was supposed to be. There was no permanent brain damage. Finally, when a psychologist visited Justin and spoke to him in private, it was determined that he had difficulty waking up because memories of the attack would flood his mind during his short periods of sleep. They weren't clear, or visual, and Justin described them as 'loud noises and punches,' but they were enough for the 23 year old to feel paralyzed and numb, altering him unable to hear or feel anyone coaxing him to wake up. Justin explained he was utterly helpless because he felt as if he couldn't remember the altercation using only sounds. He felt as if his interview with the police held no meaning whatsoever, because he didn't remember seeing the faces of his attackers, or being at the club with Britney that night. Even more so, he didn't want Joshua to worry any more than he had, so he chose not to tell him when the dreams started occurring. After briefing the doctor on the findings, it was decided that Justin was to be sedated for at least a full day, allowing him to get some proper rest, hoping that any memories would either come to his full consciousness or disappear. JC sat with him and held his hand as he waited for Justin to fall asleep.

"I love you so much," He whispered, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

"I love you too… will you be here when I wake up?" Justin questioned, his tired, blue eyes looking straight into JC's.

"Oh, baby. There's nowhere else I'd rather be," He responded. Finally, Justin fell asleep, and Josh lowered his head to Justin's bed, placing his hand gently at his side. "Get some rest, sweetheart," He whispered, running his hands down his own face. He felt a little better when Joey and Chris came by that evening, able to fully express how horrible Justin must feel, being haunted by something he couldn't even remember. The three continued to talk late until the night, until around 2am, when they heard light whimpering.

"What was that?" Chris asked, and not long after, it was hard again.

"No…," Was heard this time, and Joey, Chris and JC all whipped their heads towards Justin, seeing his head slightly move back and forth. "No…," He kept mumbling.

"Justin. Hey, baby. Wake up," Josh spoke silently, lowering a hand to touch Justin's cheek. The contact didn't last long, as Justin flinched in his sleep, turning away.

"No!" He exclaimed a little louder. In Justin's unconscious mind, the memories of the attack were once again plaguing his mind, except this time, he couldn't escape them. He didn't just hear sounds and voices, he saw everything.

"Okay. I'll be fast, I promise," Britney said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Justin's head before sprinting towards where Justin had parked. Justin sat heavily against the wall, attempting to focus on his breathing rather than his urge to throw up. He kept his head in his hands, until he heard a voice in front of him.

"Hey, man. You okay?" A deep voice asked, and when Justin slowly raised his glassy, blurry eyes, he made out three figures in front of him, all wearing black hoodies.

"Fine," He responded, just thinking the three were by passers. However, they continued.

"Stand up," One commanded.

"No," Justin simply replied, knowing he couldn't stand on his own even if he wanted to.

"Fine. You know, this is going to be a whole lot easier than I thought," One said, grabbing Justin's elbow and yanking him to his feet. The 23 year old stumbled in an attempt to catch his balance.

"You know Lance Bass?" Another questioned, and Justin's eyes shifted.

"Yes," He gulped, and somewhere in his disoriented state, he knew that the entire night had something to do with Lance.

"This is for getting his parents fired," The voice said, and Justin didn't even know where it came from before a fist was flying at his face, knocking him off his feet. He lay on the floor, his hands covering his face. He was too uncoordinated to attempt to fight back when the figures repeatedly stomped on his ribs before their hands fisted into his curls, throwing his head into the wall.

"Justin!" Josh yelled, his voice loud as he cursed the idea to sedate his boyfriend. He knew that the full extent of the memories coming back to him was a possibility of the sedation, but he didn't think about just how much it would hurt his heart to see Justin struggle. Soon, the 23 year old bolted straight up, his breath in short hyperventilations.

"Josh!" He exclaimed, throwing himself into JC's awaiting arms. The tears started to flow freely, and Josh felt them start to soak his shirt.

"Sh, sweetheart. It's okay," He soothed, his hand running through the soft, now long curls.

"I remember everything…," He cried, holding onto JC as if he would disappear into thin air. "I remember…," Justin kept repeating, his eyes shutting impossibly tight. JC felt him trembling within his arms and made a vow to himself that Lance Bass was going to pay for what he'd done.

\---

As the doctors predicted, after Justin was able to fully remember the attack, his sleep problems severely diminished. They kept him for three extra days for observations, and finally, on the fourth, they decided to discharge him. Justin couldn't contain his excitement about finally leaving the hospital. After remembering what caused him to be there, Justin felt a little better, knowing he wasn't targeted for his time, therefore he wasn't irresponsible with it like he originally had thought. However, it was the first time that he admitted to Joshua that he was scared of Lance. Scared that one day, the blonde would in fact get in between the two, and as Chris had previously told JC, Justin was willing to take as many beatings as Lance could pay for, as long as he could be with Joshua. He made Josh promise never to leave him because of something Lance did, and although he hesitated, he ultimately agreed.

"You ready to go?" Josh asked, bringing Justin out of his deep thoughts.

"I've never been more ready," Justin replied with a smile, causing JC's heart to melt.

"You sure you have everything in here?" The 28 year old questioned, referencing the duffel bag he held in his left hand. Upon finding out that Justin was going to be discharged, JC immediately asked him to stay with him for a while, citing his need and want to make sure he was okay, and not leave him alone just yet. Justin smiled brightly, accepting the invitation before telling Josh how cute he was when he worried. He then asked Chris to visit his apartment, packing up what Justin called his 'essentials.'

"I have clothes, my laptop and phone, toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant, cologne, I think that's it," Justin listed of, and JC chuckled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his temple.

"Sounds like you have the essentials," He winked.

"That's exactly what I have, smartass," Justin teased with a smile, allowing JC to give him his hand, helping him into the wheelchair. He frowned, looking at the doctor. "Isn't this a little unnecessary?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Timberlake. This is standard discharge practice," The doctor replied, before the younger male turned to Josh.

"Can you do wheelies or something?" He questioned seriously, and JC almost spit out the coffee he was drinking.

"Are you sure you're not still sedated?! I'm not going to do wheelies with a wheelchair you're in! You might as well just get back in that bed."

"You're no fun," Justin pouted. Joshua chuckled, leaning forward and kissing the pout.

"Trust me, when we get home, I'll show you just how fun I am."

\---

"You sure you're okay?" The 28 year old questioned, sitting against the headboard after making love to Justin. He was a lot more gentle than he normally was, worried that Justin wasn't fully recovered from his attack, despite what the doctors had repeatedly told them.

"I'm fine, Joshua. I'm not made of glass," He responded with a sigh. Although he truly appreciated how caring and loving his boyfriend was, he didn't like that he was being treated as if he would break at any minute. He just wanted their relationship to go back to the way it was before anything happened. JC's eyebrows furrowed at the change of tone, looking down to see Justin avoiding eye contact with him. He sighed. He knew they were going to need to have a deep conversation about what happened with Lance, what JC felt, and what they were going to do going forward.

"Baby, I know you're not made of glass… you also did just get discharged from the hospital," The elder of the two slowly responded, not expecting Justin to huff, throwing the covers off of him and padding into the bathroom, slamming the door. JC sighed, running down his face, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. He slowly brought himself off of the bed, grabbing a pair of discarded boxers and slipping them on, walking to the bathroom and lightly knocking on it. "Justin?" He called. He tried twisting the handle of the door, hoping that somehow, in Justin's fury, he forgot to lock the door. However, it wouldn't budge.

"Go away," The low voice on the other side replied, and Josh could've sworn he heard a sniffle. So, he knocked again.

"Justin, come on. Let me in," He tried a little louder. He didn't know why the sudden change of mood in his boyfriend occurred, but every since Justin had woken up, he tried to avoid talking about him being there as much as possible, and it killed Joshua that he didn't know why. None of what happened was his fault. "Babe?" The 28 year old tried calling once again. "I'll sit out here all night, Justin," He tried to use a more strict tone with his boyfriend, but it didn't get him anywhere.

"Good," Was all that was heard.

"Justin, baby," Josh sighed. If Justin wasn't going to come out, he was just going to say everything he felt to the wooden door, hoping his lover could hear it on the other side. "I don't know why you get all nervous and upset whenever I bring up you being in the hospital, but I hope you know that you can talk to me about absolutely anything. I promise I'll never judge you or tell you how to feel. You fought for your life, Justin. And not only that, but you won. I know you're going to be okay…," He said the last part, more for himself than Justin. "But I want to hear it from you. Please, sweetheart," He pleaded, his hand resting against the beautiful wooden door. Soon, it slowly swung open, and Justin took a step forward, wrapping his arms around JC's torso.

"Thank you," The Memphis native breathed into JC's chest. Josh sighed with relief, bringing his arms to wrap around the younger's back.

"I love you," He said softly into the brunette curls.

"I love you too," Justin replied, slowly and shakily pulling away from the embrace, his blue eyes raising to meet Josh's as he took a deep breath and said, "I'm ready to talk."


	17. Chapter 17

Justin sighed as he sat down on Josh's bed, rubbing a hand down his face. He felt his lover sit down next to him, the gentle hand immediately raising to his back.

"This is all still so new to me…," He spoke softly, his finger grazing the green, glowing text that was on his arm. "I'm still so used to having a day to my name," The 23 year old added. Josh sighed, deciding to choose his words carefully.

"I know this hasn't been easy for you… I'm sorry I just threw you into this lifestyle," He started, only to be silenced when Justin's head whipped up, his eyes immediately connecting with his own.

"You think you threw me into this? I mean, yeah, I'm not used to having this much time on me but it's not your fault. None of what happened is your fault," Justin assured, and Josh just sighed.

"It sure feels that way. Lance wouldn't be after you if you weren't with me."

"Lance wouldn't be after me if I didn't choose to be with you. I'm with you because I want to be. I'm willing to go through this crazy life with you because I love you. I don't love that you have millions of years to your name, I'm with you because I love you for you. You're incredibly sweet, and caring, and protective. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I refuse to walk away because of your jealous, bitter ex-boyfriend," The Memphis native poured his heart out, watching as JC slowly smiled.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me too," He whispered, reaching his hand up to cup Justin's cheek. "And I love you too. That's why it's so hard for me to know that I'm putting you in danger," He explained.

"I get it, Josh. I do. I don't know how I'd feel if I was in your position. But we're here now. We love each other. And I know you. You've probably thought about leaving me so that Lance would stop coming after me, right?" He questioned, getting his answer when JC didn't reply. "If you left me, people would still be after me because they'd know I was JC Chasez's ex boyfriend."

"I - I never thought of it like that," The 28 year old honestly admitted.

"Exactly. And that's part of the reason why I hate talking about the attack. I know you blame yourself, Josh, and I don't want to talk about it because I hate knowing how worried you were and how hard you are on yourself. But whether I was with you or not, it would have happened. Someone would've spotted the time on my arm or recognized me, whether we were together or not… so, let's just be happy. Let's just be in love… you need to stop worrying about everyone else."

"That's hard when you're the son of Roy and Karen Chasez," JC sighed, slightly chuckling when Justin smirked.

"I think I can help you with that."

\---

"He's been waiting on me hand and foot," Justin chuckled, lifting his beer to his mouth and taking a sip as he sat with Chris a week later.

"You know you love it," The elder teased, taking a swig of his own drink.

"I mean, it isn't the worst thing ever to have a personal chef and butler," He joked. "But damn, I miss work."

"How'd your follow up go?"

"Really good, actually. The concussion is completely healed and I don't really have nightmares anymore unless I really think about it before bed. They said I can go back to work on Monday. Which means three more days of sitting at home," He huffed, and Chris smirked.

"Already calling JC's place home, huh?" He questioned, noticing Justin's blush.

"You know what I mean," Justin chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Speaking of, where is Mr. Chasez tonight?"

"Signing off on a blueprint for a new Chasez Banks in Georgia," The Memphis native responded, sipping his beer once more.

"I'm surprised he didn't force one of his guards to come with you," Chris spoke, only half joking. He knew how protective Joshua was of Justin, and it was somewhat shocking that the elder was okay with Justin going out to another bar with no protection.

"Oh, trust me. He tried. He basically begged me to at least bring one of the Chasez's guards. But, I don't know. It's just not me," He shrugged, as if it was no big deal. Chris wanted to say something, wanted to tell him that now, it didn't matter about what was and wasn't 'him.' He had his time to worry about. He had the fact that people now knew him as JC Chasez's boyfriend to worry about. However, he decided that the last thing he wanted to do was make his best friend upset. He wanted Justin to adjust to his life as much as possible, without being reminded of how much was at stake now that he was involved with Josh.

"Well, hey. If it's not you it's not you," Chris simply said, not expecting Justin to look up at him, a soft smile on his face, clearly shocked by the answer.

"Thanks, man."

\---

"You sure you're ready for this?" Josh asked, taking Justin's hands within his own as they stood outside of the GQ offices. It was Justin's first day back to work, and JC couldn't contain his worry. He insisted that he drove his younger lover to work, wanting to make sure he truly was ready.

"I'm okay, Josh," Justin softly replied. He knew how worried his boyfriend was, knew how concerned he was that he couldn't keep his eye on him, but Justin needed to get back to doing what he loved. "I'll see you at home."

"Say that again," JC whispered, the smile wide on his face.

"I'll see you athome," He repeated, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Josh's. When they pulled away, he pecked him once more, before running a thumb down Josh's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," JC said, allowing his hand to slide off of the comfortable position of Justin's waist. He waited until his younger lover was completely out of his vision before sighing gently and sliding into the driver's seat, running his hand down his face before heading to his office. He thought about the long work day ahead of him, not knowing how he was supposed to focus on meetings with designers, architects or financial advisors when all he could think about was Justin.

\---

Justin slowly peeked into his office, the space almost feeling foreign to him. The lights were off, and the 23-year-old was somewhat surprised at how neat the room was. Despite several rough copies of magazines he was working on before he was attacked floating around on his desk, the place was spotless. He took a deep breath, taking a step into his workspace. It felt strange having not been there since the attack, and it almost put what happened to him into a sickening perspective. He saw his life before Lance Bass was involved. Had memories of Chris barging into his office to tell him the staff meeting had been cancelled and they could go home. But then he frowned. All those memories were before Joshua, too. And as much as Justin wished it were different, wished he didn't love Josh more than anything he ever had, he did. He was willing to sacrifice all his safety and privacy because he loved Josh. He sat his messenger bag on the floor near his chair, flicking the lights on and getting ready for the day. His eyes fell on the pictures he had displayed, running his thumb over one with his mother. Justin sighed heavily. He knew his Mom would have loved Josh, would've love how much of a gentleman he was, yet how seriously he took business. She would've been thrilled to see Justin so happy. Recently, he'd been missing his mother so much, and he knew why. The attack left his vulnerable and weak, and scared to talk about his feelings. He knew that if his Mom was still around, she'd be the one person Justin would confide in. She'd be the shoulder that Justin cried on when he felt like he wasn't strong enough, or the memories of the attack plagued his day to day routine. However, she was gone, and Justin just had to accept the horrible fact that she would never be able to run her hand through his curls and whisper that she loved him ever again. The 23-year-old sighed once again, pulling the sleeve of his maroon dress shirt up, revealing the abundance of time flickering on his forearm. At times, he felt guilty that he now had all this time when his Mom timed out, but he reminded himself that if she hadn't timed out, Justin would have never moved to New York in the first place. He would have never met Josh. And in Justin's mind, meeting Josh was the best thing to have ever happened to him. He smiled as he thought about his boyfriend. How he'd been so caring, sweet and loving with him, especially since the attack. He'd let Justin, who he'd been dating for almost 3 months, into his home, making sure he was there to wrap his arms around the younger after he had a nightmare, or tell him that everything was okay when paled after hearing deep, low voices coming from the TV. Josh was always there for him, whispering that he loved him until the younger calmed down. And Justin knew he was in love. He'd been so deep in thought, he'd barely noticed a knock on his office door, his breath catching in his throat as he gasped. Slowly, he walked to the door and pulled it open, revealing Johnny Wright standing before him. Justin frowned at his unconscious change in behaviour, as he realized he typically shouted for whoever was at his door to come in.

"Hey Johnny," Justin smiled at his boss.

"Hi Justin," The elder spoke with a bright smile, sticking his hand out for Justin to shake. "It's so good to have you back," He added.

"It's good to be back," The younger replied, shaking his hand.

"How are you feeling?" Johnny questioned, and Justin smiled, sensing the concern in his voice.

"I'm okay. Beyond ready to get back to work," He responded with a slight chuckle.

"Well, okay then. If you could start looking over those rough drafts, that'd be great."

"You got it, Johnny," Justin responded, and watched as his superior smiled, before turning serious.

"If at any point, you feel like you can't handle it, you let me know, okay? I know what you went through, and I know a week and a half out of the hospital might have not been enough time for you to fully recover," He seriously told his junior editor, who nodded slowly, his eyes on the floor. He didn't want to admit it, but as much as he wanted to get back to work, he didn't know if he was emotionally ready. Sure, the nightmares were sparse, but Justin hadn't actually attempted to deal with the attack in a public setting. What if he saw someone who looked like his attackers? What if someone approached him from behind in the break room and scared him, sending him back to that panicked feeling he had at the club? However, he pushed all those thoughts aside. He loved his job, and he told himself he wasn't going to let anything come in the way of that. So, he looked up at his boss, and offered him a sincere smile.

"Thanks. I should have a few looked over by lunch if you wanted to go over some after that?" He questioned, and Johnny slightly furrowed his eyebrows. He knew Justin was a hard-worker, but he didn't want the young man using every ounce of his energy towards work to avoid thinking about what had happened to him. And judging by the large goal he'd set for himself on his first day back, he somehow figured that Justin wasn't as okay as he was letting on. However, it wasn't his position to say anything, so he just nodded.

"Sure, Justin. I have a conference call at 12:30, but any time after that I'll be available."

"Sounds good," Justin replied with a smile to which Johnny returned.

"Alright. Well, I'll let you get started then," The elder of the two announced, smiling softly at his inferior before walking out of the office. Justin watched him slowly walk out of his door, and with a final look at the piles of rough editions on his desk, decided he needed a cup of coffee. He slowly made his way into the kitchen and poured the hot liquid into a mug, adding just a splash of milk. Before his attack, he was trying to stay away from sugar, claiming that his face was getting chubby. Josh just laughed when Justin told him that, pinching his cheeks, teasing him. Justin smiled at the memory, bringing the cup to his lips.

"Hey stranger!" Britney exclaimed, coming behind him. Justin let out a panicked scream, the hot contents of his cup spilling onto his pants. Britney's smile immediately faded, and she cursed herself for being so insensitive. "Oh, god, Justin. I'm so sorry," She spoke, shifting her eyes from the coffee on Justin's khakis to his face, wanting to make sure he was emotionally okay. His eyes were closed, and his hands appeared to be shaking. Britney watched guiltily, as Justin seemed to be having a flashback to his attack. After a slow, shaky breath, Justin slowly opened his blue orbs. "Justin…," She started again.

"It's okay," He cut her off, smiling small as he placed his now half-empty coffee cup onto the counter, grabbing a napkin to clean the coffee off his pants.

"I'm sorry," The blonde repeated in a horrified whisper. Justin just reached for her, pulling her close to him.

"It's alright. I shouldn't be so jumpy," He tried to assure her. She slowly pulled away, taking the napkin from his hands and kneeling, helping him conceal the coffee stains as much as possible.

"God, of course you should be. I was just so excited to have you back," Britney embarrassedly admitted. Once the liquid was barely visible on Justin's tan pants, she stood up, smiling sheepishly at her friend.

"Can we start this whole thing over?" She questioned, and Justin chuckled, silently giving her permission. "Hey, stranger," She said again.

"Hey," The male said with a laugh.

"I bet you're happy to be back."

"You have no idea," He responded. "The amount of draft issues I have to go through is insane. Even looking at the pile of them on my desk made me want to fall asleep.

"I've done shoots for a couple of them. I think the photography department did a great job with colouring and that sort of thing," She proudly spoke about her team.

"Well, I let you know," Justin winked, turning to the pot of coffee he'd previously made, thankful there was still some left. He poured it into his blue mug, lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. "That's how I expected the first sip of my morning coffee to go," He teased, feeling Britney playfully elbow him as they headed out of the kitchen and down the corridor that lead to the editing department. They made their way past Chris' office, and noticed the elder male leaning against his desk, smirking at Justin.

"Oh my God, is that the one and only Justin Timberlake?" He teased, walking closer to his best friend and pulling him into an embrace. Justin chuckled, before pulling away.

"In the flesh," He replied, before pulling away. "Now, why didn't you start looking through the rough drafts I have piled on my desk? I'm swamped today, man," Justin whined, and Chris just chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Slow down, J. It's your first day back. They don't all have to be done today. Some of the issues are for months from now. Just do what you can. You know I'm here if you need help," He sincerely spoke, and Justin could detect the silent warning from his best friend, telling him not to push himself too hard.

"Thanks," The 23 year old responded.

"It's so good to have you back, Justin," Chris honestly said, offering a warm smile to Justin and a wink to Britney, heading towards the break room.


	18. Chapter 18

By the time it was Justin's lunch hour, he sighed, running his hands down his face, his eyes glancing to the now slightly smaller pile of rough editions. He'd been working extremely hard all morning, figuring if he kept himself busy, the eery feeling in his office would go away. Every few minutes, a member from the marketing, financial or another department would come in, welcoming him back and asking him if he needed anything. It was nice at first, but after a while, he started to grow annoyed, the visits only forcing him to remember what had happened to him. He knew his coworkers' intentions were good, but he couldn't stop himself from jumping or gasping every time he heard a knock, or someone shut his door. He began to shove as many papers in his bag as he could, needing to get out of the office for a while. He figured Chris would understand, and when he heard a timid knock and saw his best friend walking into the room, he figured he would find out sooner than he thought.

"Hey, J," He smiled, and Justin appreciated his slightly lower tone of voice.

"Hey, CK," He responded.

"How's your morning been?" The elder questioned, his eyes searching Justin's face for any sign of exhaustion or terror.

"It's been okay. I got through half of the editions I was working on. I think I'll get through the other half after lunch if people stop interrupting me every two seconds," The 23 year old huffed, taking Chris aback at the slight change of tone of his voice. Justin noticed, and sighed deeply. "Sorry."

"You know everyone was worried about you," Chris almost whispered.

"Yeah, I know," He sighed, running his hands through his curly hair, slightly shocked at his own outburst. "And I appreciate that. But after a while, all it does it make me think about what happened when all I'd like to do is forget it," He finished, and Chris sadly smiled. What Justin was saying made a ton of sense, and he hated that peoples positive intentions made him feel that way.

"I'm sorry, J. No one thought about it like that," He honestly admitted, and saw Justin's face soften.

"I wouldn't expect people to. Hell, I didn't expect it," The Memphis native responded, before slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. "If it's okay with you, I think I'm gonna go to Josh's office for lunch. I want to be around him for a little."

"Do you need me to drive you?" He offered, and Justin genuinely smiled.

"No, that's okay. I called one of his drivers already… I hope you don't mind," Justin sheepishly started, hoping his best friend wouldn't be bothered with the disruption in their typical lunch plans.

"Oh god, not at all! I get it, Justin. I do. JC gives you comfort, and that's what you need right now," He smiled. Justin returned the expression, reaching forward and pulling his best friend into a hug.

"Thank you," He whispered. Chris just wrapped his arms around his friends torso, placing a hand in his curly hair.

"Of course. Now, go have lunch with your boy. God forbid you spend 55 minutes with him instead of an hour," He teased, once Justin pulled away. The younger of the two playfully rolled his eyes, before walking out of the building and into the black SUV that was already waiting for him.

\---

The SUV pulled up to Chasez Banks' New York Headquarters, the driver getting out first, opening Justin's door for him and allowing the younger male to slip out.

"Thanks, Kevin," Justin smiled at the man he'd come to know.

"My pleasure, Mr. Timberlake. Just call me when you're finished and I'll be here to pick you up," Kevin responded, nodding at Justin before getting back in the drivers seat and pulling away. Justin took a deep breath and looked at the tall, exquisite building before him. He'd never been to Josh's office before, and only knew the address and Josh's extension because Josh had ensured he knew it before he left Justin home alone to go to a meeting, two days after the attack. Justin made his way into the building, marvelling at the gorgeous interior. Of course, he shouldn't have expected anything less. The ceilings were high, with gold chandeliers, the floors marble tiled, with large windows. Security guarded the lobby, and Justin slightly nodded at them as he made his way to the elevator, pressing the 23rd button. He impatiently tapped his foot on the floor, and almost rushed out when the large, metal doors opened, letting Justin know he was on the executive floor. Soon, he stepped out, instantly met by a receptionist's desk.

"Hi. Can I help you?" A young looking, petite, brunette female asked.

"I'd like to see JC Chasez, if he's available," Justin politely spoke. The woman looked down at her computer, then back up at the man in front of him.

"He just got out of a meeting. Can I ask your name?"

"Justin Timberlake," The 23 year old responded, and instantly, the female smiled.

"You're Justin?" She questioned.

"Yes," He responded, figuring his boyfriend had told his employees about his relationship.

"I'm Stacey, JC's receptionist," She introduced herself, her smile revealing her perfectly whitened teeth.

"Nice to meet you, Stacey," The Memphis native smiled.

"Go right on in to see him. His office is the last room on the left. It's got huge glass doors, you can't miss it."

"Thanks," Justin softly smiled, doing as he was instructed and walking down the long, narrow corridor. Despite all the people in conference rooms and roaming the offices, the floor was quiet, and somehow, that made it seem that much more extravagant. Slowly, Justin reached the last office in the hall, smiling when he saw JC's name plaque outside of his door. He peered inside, seeing his lover bent over piles of papers and chuckled. Maybe the two of them were more alike than Justin thought. He took a deep breath before raising his hand and gently knocking on the glass.

"Come in," Josh spoke, not even looking up from his papers. So, Justin opened the large, glass door and stepped into his lover's office, taking a brief glance around the room. JC's office was similar to his in terms of the minimalistic decorations, but the elder's space was about three times that of Justin's. Instead of Justin's cheap swivel chair, Josh sat in a large, black, leather one, his notes and papers scattered across his dark wooden desk. His eyes then drifted to the one photo JC had on his desk and felt his heart flutter. It was one of the two of them that Joey took on one of their nights out. Justin was sitting on JC's knee, his hands around his neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek as Josh smiled brightly at the camera. Justin smiled before JC's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "Can I help you?" He questioned, his voice irritated as he still hadn't looked up from his work.

"You definitely can," Justin spoke with a small smirk, watching as his boyfriend's head whipped up, obviously recognizing the voice.

"Justin," He breathed out, immediately jumping out of his chair and making his way over to the younger, pulling him into his arms. "Oh god, baby. I've been thinking about you all day," He whispered, holding him close.

"I've been thinking about you too," Justin responded, pulling back just enough so he could lean forward and press his lips to JC's in a quick, but loving, kiss.

"Not that I'm not so happy to see you, but why are you here?" Josh questioned, his hands lowering to Justin's waist as he shrugged.

"I just needed to get out of the office for a while. I don't think there was ever a minute that I didn't have someone coming in asking me how I was doing. It was nice at first, but after a while, it just forced me to think about what happened. I just wanted to come and spend some time with you, even if it's for an hour."

"I'm glad you did. I've been so worried about you all morning I almost totally blew my meeting," He chuckled.

"But you didn't, right?"

"Of course I didn't. I'm offended that you would even ask such a thing," The 28 year old chuckled.

"I know you probably don't have time to leave the office and grab anything, so I bought two sandwiches from the cafeteria this morning. You don't have to eat yours now, but it's there if you want it. I don't mind just sitting here while you work," Justin spoke, not wanting to intrude on JC's day, knowing how important he was to his family's company.

"Thanks, baby," Josh smiled, pressing a kiss to Justin's temple. He walked back to his chair and sat down, watching as his boyfriend sat in one of the two black leather chairs in front of his desk. "There's so many contracts I have to write up for potential buyers," He sighed, running a hand down his face.

"I have so many rough drafts of magazines to look over," He chuckled, pulling the large stack of papers, along with the turkey sandwiches out of his bag and placing them on the desk.

"They're making you do all that on your first day back?" He questioned, a hint of concern in his voice as he stared at the large pile of papers.

"No. These are issues for like two months from now. I think I even saw one for the New Year," He laughed lightly. "Johnny wanted to look through a couple of them to get a head start but I don't know - I just wanted to keep myself busy," He admitted, his eyes lowering softly.

"You sure you're doing okay?" JC asked softly, reaching forward and gently taking one of his lover's hands into his own.

"I mean - I thought I was," Justin sighed, his eyes still focused on the table. "But every time someone knocks on my door, I freak out."

"Hey, that's normal after what you've been through. It's going to take a while for you to adjust to your life again. But I promise, I'll do absolutely everything I can to protect you, and you can talk to me about absolutely anything. You know that," Josh honestly told him, his thumb running over Justin's smooth skin.

"I know. Thank you."

"I love you, Justin," The elder reminded him, knowing that he needed to hear it.

"I love you too, Josh," He smiled, unwrapping his turkey sandwich and taking a bite, finally feeling as if he could eat.

\--

It was difficult to leave Joshua after their short lunch, but Justin knew he was going to have to face work sooner or later, and by the dozens of phone calls Josh was getting, he knew he needed to leave in order for his boyfriend to get any work done.

"Don't go," Josh pouted, his arms around Justin's slim waist. The younger chuckled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I'd love to stay. But you and I both know that we have work to do," He responded, and JC raised a hand to caress his lover's cheek.

"Don't work yourself too hard, okay? I know right now it seems like a smart way to distract yourself, but you're going to crash, baby," Josh seriously spoke, and Justin immediately identified the concern in it.

"Oh, I'm going to crash hard tonight. Right onto those grey silky sheets with my boyfriend's arms around me," The younger teased.

"Those sheets sound familiar," JC spoke, placing a finger on his chin as if he was thinking about it.

"I sure hope they do. I hope I was in the right boyfriend's mansion for the past week," The 23 year old added, earning a chuckle from Josh, who then sighed, turning serious.

"I'm serious, Justin. Take it easy."

"I know… I promise to go a little easier after lunch. I just needed to see you. Stop worrying so much," Justin said, a small smile on his face.

"Stop giving me reasons to worry so much," JC teased, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Justin's once more. "My driver well be outside of GQ around 5. I'm not sure I'll get out of here at that time, but if I don't, you know the code, and you know you can make yourself at home."

"Thank you for all of this, Josh," Justin honestly said, an arm reaching to wrap around the elder's neck.

"Hey, there's no need to thank me. I love you…," Josh replied, leaning forward and pressing his lips to his boyfriend's.

"I love you too," Justin replied, his eyes slowly fluttering open to see JC's smirk.

"Besides, if you weren't staying with me I would probably have baby monitors in every corner of your apartment just to make sure you were okay,"


	19. Chapter 19

It was now months later, mid-November. The New York winter was in full effect, and Justin sat on his couch in his apartment, staring out the window, watching the snow fall from the sky. It was his second winter in New York, and he was still adjusting to the weather. Memphis didn't get nearly as much snow as New York did, and the temperature certainly didn't drop as low as it did. His hands were wrapped around a warm mug of coffee, his body in a plush bath robe. It'd been a little over two weeks since he started living at his own place again, knowing that as much as he loved living with his boyfriend, all of his belongings were in his apartment. He was soon brought out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. Justin's eyebrows furrowed. It was a Sunday. Chris and Britney were most likely catching up on sleep or curing a hangover, and Josh was meeting with his father about their company's strategy. Slowly, he made his way to the door, pulling it open and seeing Josh standing before him, all bundled up in a heavy wool jacket, gloves, a scarf and a toque. Justin made mental notes to get a pair of gloves and a scarf for himself before turning to usher his boyfriend in.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned, reaching up and helping Josh take his coat off, placing it on the hook near the door.

"Our meeting finished early, and I missed you," Josh shrugged, pulling the gloves off his hands before leaning forward and pecking Justin's lips.

"I missed you too," The 23 year old chuckled, frowning as he looked at JC's winter gear. "I'm realizing I'm not as prepared for winter as I thought," He chuckled, walking back to the couch and sitting down, content when JC followed. "Can I get you a coffee or something?"

"I'm okay," The elder replied. "Memphis doesn't have winters like this, do they?"

"Not at all. I think I've seen snow a total of three times in my life, and even then, it was gone within an hour. It doesn't get too cold there, either. I'm honestly thinking of buying heating pads just to put in my coat pocket," He chuckled. JC laughed, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

"We should go get you some proper winter clothes," Josh smiled.

"Wait, people actually leave their houses for fun when it's this cold out?" Justin questioned, confused when Joshua laughed.

"Oh god, you're serious aren't you?" Josh asked through his laughs, noticing Justin looking confused. "Babe, you've got a lot to learn," He chuckled, leaning forward and quickly catching his boyfriend's lips with his own.

\---

Justin learned sooner rather than later what Josh meant by his statement. He groaned as his 6am alarm clock beeped, reaching over and slapping the snooze button. He'd been up all night with a sore throat and runny nose, alternating between vomiting and feeling like he was going to vomit. He let out a violent cough, along with a moan as he knew there was no way he would be able to go into work. He opened his blurry eyes, reaching for his phone as he blindly dialed Chris' number.

"Hello?" His best friend picked up. Justin smirked, able to tell that he'd woken Chris up.

"Hey, CK," He rasped out.

"Justin? Man, you sound like shit," The elder commented, sounding a little more awake.

"I feel like it," He replied, clearing his throat. "I don't think I'm gonna make it into work today."

"Really? I though by the sound of it you'd be the first one there," Chris teased.

"Funny."

"Get some rest, J," Chris replied with a chuckle.

"'M trying," Justin breathed, letting the phone fall from his ear when he heard his best friend hang up. He closed his eyes, wishing he could build up the energy to get out of bed to take some medicine, but his head was pounding and every time he moved he felt nauseous, so, he brought his wool blanket as close to his chin as possible, praying for sleep to come up and meet him.

JC smiled brightly as he walked into GQ's offices, two Starbucks cups in his hands. He'd blown through his morning meetings as fast as he could, wanting to return Justin's lunch surprise months ago. He began to head in the direction of his boyfriend's office, only to be stopped by Chris entering his vision.

"Your boy isn't in today," He announced, watching as JC's face dropped with confusion and disappointment.

"Why not?"

"He called in sick."

"He didn't call me," Josh said, frowning. It wasn't like Justin needed to run every detail of his life by him, but he wished he'd found out from Justin that he wouldn't be in that day.

"Trust me, the only reason he called me was so that he wouldn't get written up for an unexplained absence. The kid sounded like shit," Chris chuckled, and Josh frowned, looking at his watch.

"Well, I better hurry and get to his place if I want to make it back in time for my 1:30 contract signing," He announced, smiling slightly at the shorter man. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Tell the little brat I hope he feels better," He laughed, watching JC chuckle before turning and walking out of the office and into his car. He drove to Justin's apartment complex, frowning when he picked up the cup of coffee and realized it was no longer hot, but now a room temperature. He got out of his car and made his way through the lobby, smiling at the desk clerk.

"I didn't see Mr. Timberlake this morning," The blonde commented, recognizing JC from being around Justin.

"He's sick. I'm heading up there now," Josh said, flashing his smile before nodding and heading into the elevator. He patiently waited for the ding to signify he was on the fifth floor, walking through the open doors and walking towards the door that read 514. Josh lifted his hand and gently knocked on the door, not wanting to hurt Justin's most likely aching head. However, he didn't hear any movement from the other side of the door, and decided to try the handle. He placed his hand on it, gently pushing it, smiling slightly when the door opened. The 28 year old was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the undeniable sound of someone throwing up. He winced, knowing it could only be Justin. "Baby?" He called out, only receiving a moan in response. He placed the cups on Justin's counter and made his way to the bathroom, seeing his boyfriend kneeling in front of the toilet, the sweat dripping down his neck. Josh immediately slipped into protective boyfriend mode, grabbing the nearest face cloth and turning on the sink, gently placing the towel underneath. He rinsed it out before getting on his own knees behind Justin, placing it on his neck.

"Josh," Justin choked out through heaves.

"It's okay, sweetheart," JC cooed, rubbing his back gently, listening as Justin whimpered, tiredly falling backwards and into Josh's awaiting arms.

"You're.. here," Justin breathed out, coughing after the sentence as Josh continued to place the damp cloth on his neck in an attempt to soothe him.

"Of course I'm here. I went to your work to surprise you for lunch and Chris told me you called in sick. I even brought you coffee to warm you up," JC said with a chuckle, wincing when Justin gagged. "You want to try and stand up?" He questioned.

"Okay," He answered softly, watching through blurry eyes as Josh stood up, offering both of his hands to Justin. He allowed himself to be pulled up, and groaned when his knees felt weak, leaning into Josh.

"Come on, let's get you into bed," JC softly said, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"I love you, but I'm not in the mood for any of that," The younger tried to tease, before letting out a violent cough.

"Funny," Josh chuckled, before starting to lead Justin to his bed. They reached the queen sized mattress, and JC carefully pulled the sheets down, gently helping Justin get in. He lifted his hand, going to slick back the curls that had matted down to Justin's forehead, but frowned when his fingers made contact with the hot skin. "You're burning up, baby. Have you taken anything?"

"I took some Tylenol before I threw up," Justin softly replied, whimpering when Josh removed his hand from his forehead. JC smiled small at the gesture, before removing his jacket and walking to the other side of the bed, sliding in. "What are you doing?" He questioned with a sniffle.

"I need you to get some sleep. I did listen when you told me you sleep better when I'm here."

"You're going to get," Justin started, pausing to sneeze mid-sentence. "Sick."

"Bless you," JC chuckled. "I'm not worried about getting sick. I'm worried about you."

"Okay," The 23 year old simply replied, and Josh could hear it in his voice that he was already falling asleep. "I love you," He mumbled, scooting back so he was comfortably in his boyfriend's arms.

"I love you too, Justin. Now get some rest. And once you're feeling better, we're going out to buy you a proper winter jacket," He teased, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Justin's ear. However, all he got in response was the soft, even breathing of his lover, a notification that he was finally asleep. JC looked at the clock on the wall and almost sprinted out of the bed, knowing that if he didn't leave in that moment, he'd miss his contract signing. However, as he felt Justin's chest rise and fall against his arms and thought about the man he loved so much, he lowered back down, deciding that in that moment, there was nowhere else he'd rather be.

\---

Several days later, Justin returned to work, grateful that he could finally speak without coughing or feeling as if his throat was being burned. He smiled as he took put on his large, black parka at the end of a long shift. Like Josh promised, the moment Justin could stand for more than ten minutes, the couple, along with Josh's bodyguard went down to the mall, picking out something to keep the younger warm. Justin chuckled at the memory, and soon gasped and jumped when he heard a knock on the door.

"Fuck!" He whispered to himself, getting frustrated that he still wasn't over Lance's attack. He still got scared every single time someone knocked on his door, and constantly looked behind him when he was walking down the corridor. Regaining his composure, Justin walked to the door, pulling it open to reveal Chris, who timidly walked in.

"Hey, man. How you feeling?" The slightly elder questioned, slapping hands with his best friend who he hadn't seen all day.

"A lot better. These New York winters aren't playing around though," He chuckled.

"You're not either," Chis chuckled, pointing to Justin's coat. "You could probably go skiing in that thing."

"It was all Josh."

"I should've known," He laughed once again. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Go for it, CK," Justin responded, walking back over to his desk and sitting in his chair.

"I met this really cool intern the other day and I was thinking… what are your thoughts on an assistant?" He questioned nervously, and Justin scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"My thoughts are that I don't need an assistant. Why would I need an assistant?" The Memphis native quickly asked.

"Well, I mean…," He started with a sigh, looking down at his feet. Justin's eyes widened in realization, his voice low when he started speaking again.

"Wait… you think… you think I can't handle my work since I've been back," Justin softy said.

"Justin, I didn't say that," Chris tried to defend, but he knew Justin could see right through him.

"You didn't have to."

"It's just that… you have enough stress in your life right now. I just thought maybe you could use some extra help," The elder of the two tried to explain himself. Justin knew his intentions were good, but he couldn't help himself from getting angry. And deep down, he knew he was angry because his best friend was right. After being attacked, he had trouble keeping his thoughts focused on work and struggled to not get overwhelmed with his daily tasks. However, he thought Chris had faith in him. Hell, he thought at least he'd talk to him first.

"This is bullshit," Justin spat out, somewhat knowing his lashing out was a projection of the anger he felt towards Lance, and towards himself for letting the attack affect him so deeply.

"Justin -"

"Don't, Chris! I get it! I'm a weak ass bitch who is letting one little event take over my entire life and I suck at what I do! Did I miss anything?" Justin stood, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Justin! You know that's not true," Chris tried to rationalize, lowering his voice in an attempt to calm his younger friend down. However, his blue eyes were icy, and then stared right through him.

"Fuck you," Justin simply whispered, and Chris sighed heavily, seeing the tears in them. The 23 year grabbed his bag and quickly slung it over his shoulder, pushing past his best friend and walking out of his office. Chris groaned, starting to go after him.

"Justin! Let me fucking explain!" He yelled after the younger male. However, he didn't stop walking.

"You explained enough!" Justin exclaimed back, not even turning around. He managed to get into the elevator and close the doors before Chris could get into it with him, but the 32 year old refused to give up. He threw open the door to the stairs, racing down over a dozen flights. He sprinted out of the revolving doors to the offices, seeing Justin standing next to a driver he presumed to work for JC.

"Justin, stop," Chris spoke through heaves, trying to catch his breath. The younger turned around, somewhat surprised that the elder ran down flights of stairs to catch up to him.

"What, Chris?"

"Let's talk about this. Let's just talk," Chris breathed, but Justin just shook his head, the tears still brimming in his eyes.

"I think you've said enough," He responded, all the anger in his voice gone, replaced with defeat.

"But -"

"Chris, you wouldn't have even thought about getting me an assistant if you thought I could handle my job. And instead of talking to me about how I was doing, you went behind my back and found someone that was willing to be my assistant because you probably thought I was so weak that I'd agree with you. That I'd give up. That says it all," The Memphis native's voice trailed off, nodding to the driver who opened the door, allowing him to slip into the back seat. Chris was left by himself to watch the black SUV pull away from the curb and speed down the street and sighed deeply. If Justin wouldn't listen to him, he needed to find someone that would.


	20. Chapter 20

"Mr. Timberlake, are you sure Mr. Chasez is okay with this?" Kevin questioned once they pulled up to their destination. Upon getting in the car, Justin asked the driver if he knew were Lance Bass lived and of course, with Lance being JC's ex-boyfriend, he did.

"Yeah. Josh is meeting me here," Justin once again lied. Kevin knew he should've been suspicious of letting Justin visit Lance alone, as he frequently drove Josh around, listening to his rants about how evil the blonde was. But Justin hadn't given him any indication that he was lying, and he knew accusing Joshua's precious boyfriend of being deceitful would not go over well with the Chasez Banks heir.

"Okay," He replied, unsure. "Would you like me to stay here until you're finished?" He added, silently hoping the answer was yes, so that at least someone was near him.

"Sure. Trust me, I won't be long," Justin responded, and Kevin couldn't help but feel uneasy by his tone. He watched as the younger got out of the car, and prayed he wouldn't do anything stupid. Justin took a deep breath in an attempt to control his emotions, before walking up the paved driveway, knocking on the wooden door. He wasn't visiting Lance to fight or harm him, he just genuinely wanted to know why he couldn't mind his own business and why he decided to ruin Justin's life instead of focusing on his own. He nervously rubbed his hands against his navy blue dress pants, before raising his sleeve and checking the glowing text on his arm. He inwardly cursed himself, seeing he had 100 years. He knew if his plan went wrong, Lance wouldn't hesitate to take all of his time. So, he knew he needed to be extra careful. He pulled his sleeve back down, planning what he was going to say when Lance swung the door open, a look of shock wiping over his face.

"Well if it isn't Justin Timberlake," Lance announced, the smirk quickly rising to his face. But this time, Justin returned it.

"You gonna let me in?" He asked, his voice not wavering whatsoever. He saw Lance's confidence slip, just a little, as he moved aside, allowing Justin to walk into the large house. It wasn't as big as Josh's, but it was enough to prove that Lance did have a lot of time. "Nice place. I would ask how you could afford it but I think I know the answer," The Memphis native smirked, referencing Lance's parents stealing Chasez Banks time.

"You know, you're acting pretty tough for a guy that a week in the hospital because of me."

"That's because you can try all you want to take me out, but I'm never leaving Josh, and he's never leaving me. You're so pathetic it's actually funny," Justin scoffed, stepping closer to the blonde, who merely chuckled.

"I'm pathetic?" Lance asked, his eyes never leaving Justin's.

"You had to hire people to attack me because you know you couldn't do it yourself," The 23 year old spat, his face inching closer to Lance's. "Try it now. Try and take me out," He challenged. He could tell he was getting under Lance's skin, and it only fueled him more. "That's what I thought. You can't and you won't. And you know… maybe that's why you'll never be with Josh. Josh needs a man."

"How much of a man were you when you were hooked up to all those machines, lying in a hospital bed and knocked the fuck out?" Lance rebutted, his anger rising.

"Still more man than you," Justin replied, watching as Lance thought of his next move.

"You know, I do have to give you credit for being smart enough to not take me to court."

"Who said I wasn't going to? There's time," JC's boyfriend quickly replied. He'd thought about taking the assault to trial, figuring Lance couldn't hurt him from jail. But he wanted to make sure he could at least talk about the incident without having a panic attack before he tried to talk about it in front of a group of people.

"And you call me pathetic," The blonde chuckled, finally finding his way under Justin's skin.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're going to waste all of your time - sorry, Josh's time on trying to take me to court when you don't stand a single chance. Your testimony is going to be thrown out the window the second the jury hears you were having memory problems when you woke up," He explained with a smirk. Justin's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

"How'd you know I was having memory problems?" The younger questioned, letting his confident facade slightly fade. He hadn't thought about how his difficulty remembering the situation when he first awoken in the hospital would affect his credibility.

"I told you, Justin. I know everything about you. So whatever it is you're planning, you better think twice, because I will find out. And you know, that attack was a warning. There's a reason I left you with an hour to your name."

"Is it because you're a coward?" Justin asked, no longer confident, but furious at Lance, furious at himself that he felt fear. Lance smirked, reaching up and cupping Justin's chin.

"It's because I only get to kill you once, and I'm trying to save the fun," He whispered. And at that moment, Justin felt all of his emotions come to a head, and before he really realized what he was doing, swung his hand back, his fist connecting directly with Lance's face The blonde stumbled back, his hands instantly coming up to cup his nose, while Justin looked at his hand that was covered in blood. He knew deep down that it probably wasn't the best idea to punch the man that wanted to, and had tried to, kill him in the face, but Justin had to admit, it felt good. Lance removed his hands from his face, the entire bottom half caked in blood. He smirked, making Justin feel uneasy. "You better watch your fucking back, Timberlake."

"Isn't that what Josh's bodyguards are for?" He smirked, his confidence returning as he looked one more time at his new-found enemy, and walked out of the house.

\---

Chris made his way up to the double wooden doors at the end of JC's driveway, knocking heavily. He desperately wanted to work things out with Justin and figured he couldn't wait until the next day. He'd already tried his best friend's apartment, and when he'd gotten no answer, decided that he must be at his boyfriend's. He wanted to explain to Justin his rationale, and hoped the presence of Josh would calm him down. Soon, the door swung open, and JC stood in sweatpants and a black t-shirt.

"Hey Chris," He greeted with a smile, somewhat confused. He moved to the side, letting the elder male walk into the gorgeous mansion.

"Hey. Um, I'm sure Justin told you about our fight…," He started, snapping his mouth shut when JC looked increasingly confused.

"No, he hasn't. He's not here," Josh simply said.

"Wait, what?"

"I haven't heard from him since lunch time. I know my driver was going to pick him up from work but he hasn't come back either," The 28 year old explained, the worry entering his voice.

"I saw him getting into your driver's car to leave so I assumed he was coming here… I checked his place first…"

"Fuck," JC breathed, running his hands through his hair. "Where could he be?" He asked, making his way over to the couch and sitting down, putting his head in his hands. Chris followed, sitting in the recliner nearby.

"I know he's pissed at me, if that helps," He offered.

"What happened between you two?" Josh questioned, looking up.

"I suggested that he get an assistant to help him out and he took it as I thought he was slacking with his work. I really just meant that he's been so overwhelmed that he could use someone to take his mind off things," Chris defended, wondering if Justin's boyfriend would view it the same way he had.

"Well, Justin might not appreciate it, but I do. I know he's actually trying to work himself into the ground because he still can't get his mind off of the attack. So he's probably mad you noticed," The 28 year old told him, and Chris nodded. He hadn't thought about it like that.

"That makes a lot more sense. How have I known him longer than you yet you know him better than I do?" Chris teased and JC laughed, lightening the mood slightly. "You mind if I wait until he comes back?"

"Of course not. Can I get you something to drink? Beer?" He questioned.

"You mean can your chef get me something to drink?" The elder joked, recalling Justin mentioning that JC had his personal chef.

"Is that where Justin gets it from?" JC responded, an amused look on his face.

"Tell me Justin doesn't make those jokes every time you ask him what he wants to eat."

"Every time," He laughed. "He's lucky he's cute," He added, and Chris chuckled.

"I'll take a beer."

\---

It was roughly half an hour later when Kevin finally pulled into Joshua's driveway. Justin had been oddly quiet on the way home, and JC's driver had to stop himself from asking what happened inside Lance's, especially when he saw the dried blood staining Justin's right hand. When the SUV came to a complete stop, he heard Justin clear his throat, almost as if he'd just been scared out of his thoughts.

"Thanks, Kevin," The 23 year old spoke, throwing his bag over his shoulder and putting his fingers on the door handle and opening it.

"Of course, Mr. Timberlake. Please let Mr. Chasez know I'm back if he needs me."

"Will do," Justin replied, shutting the door and walking up the driveway. He pulled out the key Josh had given him from his messenger bag, unlocking the door and stepping inside. He was excited to tell his boyfriend that for once, Lance was scared of him.

"Justin," He heard his lover breathe, jumping up from the couch and rushing over to him, wrapping him in his arms. "I didn't hear from you and Kevin didn't come back… I was worried," The elder breathed, placing a kiss to Justin's temple. The younger smiled, wrapping his arms around his lover's torso.

"I know I should've called. I'm sorry. I had something to take care of," The Memphis native replied, pulling away with a large smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," He responded, leaning forward and pecking Josh's lips. "I think you're going to like it."

"Well, go -" JC started, but was soon interrupted.

"What's he doing here?" Justin questioned, finally noticing Chris standing slightly off to the side, wanting to give the couple some privacy. However, when Justin spoke to him, he sighed, stepping forward.

"Justin," The elder strictly spoke.

"God, Chris. I already told you, I don't want to hear it!"

"Let me fucking explain!" He exclaimed. Justin was about to respond, but JC's hand running up and down his back stopped him.

"Hear him out, baby," He whispered, pressing a kiss to Justin's earlobe. The Memphis native sighed, leaning against Josh.

"Go," He simply said, and Chris silently thanked JC.

"Justin, I don't think you're slacking on your work or you can't handle it. I'm worried about you. I know this attack is still affecting you and I don't want you to crash… I just - I thought that if you had someone to help you with everyday tasks, you'd be able to focus a little more on working through accepting the attack," Chris explained softly, seeing Justin's features relax with a sigh.

"I get it, Chris… part of the reason I got upset is because I know you're right. I know I'm having trouble focusing on work and I'm getting overwhelmed. But, I thought that to everyone else, I was handling the attack perfectly. It just surprised me that you didn't talk to me first."

"I know, and I should have. I'm sorry," He said, seeing the smile grow on his best friend's face as he untangled himself from JC's arms, walking towards him.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have freaked out on you like that."

"Hey, I understand how you would've thought I was giving up on you. But I'm not, Justin. I know you can, and you will, get over this," The eldest said, reaching forward and pulling his best friend into an embrace. Justin returned it, before pulling away and smiling brightly.

"I think I've gotten a little closer to getting over it," He announced, turning to his boyfriend.

"What do you mean?" JC questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. As far as he knew, Justin was still having difficulty even talking about what happened to him.

"Well, I told you, you were going to like where I was, right?"

"Yeah. Where we you?" The 28 year old responded, still confused. It was then that Justin raised his left hand with a smile, and Josh and Chris gasped, seeing the dried blood.

"What the fuck? Are you okay?!" JC exclaimed, rushing to his boyfriend and taking the hand in his own, inspecting it for any injuries.

"I'm perfectly fine, but Lance isn't."


	21. Chapter 21

"What the hell happened?!" Josh exclaimed, rushing over to Justin and taking the bloodied hand in his own, inspecting it.

"I went to pay Lance a visit," Justin happily responded, a little confused when his boyfriend didn't share the smile.

"Are you insane?" He lowly asked, grateful when Chris returned with a damp towel. He instantly brought the cloth to Justin's hand, cleaning the crusty, dark red blood off of it.

"What? I thought you'd be happy I stood up for myself," The younger pouted, grateful that the red liquid was gone from his skin. JC sighed, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his temple.

"I am proud of you, baby. I'm not proud you went without me or any bodyguards. You know what Lance is capable of," He spoke with a frown, but Justin just chuckled.

"No. I know what Lance is capable of paying for. He can't and he won't do shit to me on his own. I proved it to him," Justin confidently announced, and Josh licked his lips. He'd rarely seen the confident, sure of himself side of Justin, and he quickly decided that it was a serious turn on.

"You proved it to him?" Chris questioned with a smirk, breaking the intense glare the two lovers shared.

"I sure did. I basically begged him to try and take me out himself," Justin exclaimed, a bright smile on his face when he turned to his best friend.

"Hey, don't brag about that," JC softly said with a frown, his hand on the small of Justin's back.

"Sorry," Justin quickly responded, but Josh didn't miss the wink and smirk he sent Chris. The eldest of the three chuckled, before shaking his head when he turned to look at JC, who didn't look all that happy.

"I'll take this as my sign to leave. Sounds like you two have quite a bit to talk about," He announced, seeing the look in JC's eyes. Justin looked up at his boyfriend, seeing him fake a smile before turning back to Chris with a sigh.

"I guess we do. I'll see you tomorrow," The 23 year old spoke.

"See ya, J. Bye JC," Chris said, turning to the door and walking out. JC closed it behind him, before rubbing a hand down his face and turning to Justin.

"Sit," He said, walking towards the couch and watching as his boyfriend followed.

"Look, I know what you're going to say," The 23 year old started, seeing Josh trying to form his thoughts.

"You do?" The elder asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Of course I do. Do you really think I thought you'd be thrilled that I went to go visit Lance? Hell, do you really think I thought it was a brilliant idea?"

"Then why'd you do it?" Josh questioned, turning to tuck a curl behind Justin's ear, who sighed.

"I needed to do it for me. I needed to prove to myself that I'm not as weak as Lance has made me feel. I've never backed down, Josh. And since the attack, I felt like I have and I was missing part of me," The Memphis native explained, looking down to stare at the hand that his boyfriend placed on his knee, almost if he was afraid that it was an illusion.

"I get it," He whispered, causing Justin's head to snap up, his blue eyes filled with confusion.

"You do?"

"Yeah. When Lance and I broke up and he took all my time, my parents begged me to stay away from him. They basically told their entire security team to be near me at all times, but I couldn't stand how vulnerable it made me feel so I did what you did," He said, chuckling when he saw Justin's eyebrows raise. "I mean, not exactly what you did. I didn't beg him to hit me. But I needed to prove to myself that I was strong. But the difference between you and I is that at that time, I didn't have anyone to tell me that I was strong. You do. Justin, you're the strongest person I've ever met. If you ever need someone to remind you of that, please just ask me to tell you because I'll be more than happy to," Josh finished, and Justin brightly smiled.

"So… you're not mad?" The younger questioned, and JC chuckled.

"Did you really think I could stay mad at you even if I tried?"

"No," Justin smiled with a wink, leaning forward and pressing his lips to his boyfriend's. "But it's nice to hear you say it," Josh playfully rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around Justin's shoulder, enjoying a few moments of comfortable silence before he sighed, thinking of his plans the next day.

"I completely forgot to tell you. I called one of my lawyers for you, we have a meeting with him tomorrow," He spoke, feeling Justin tense. "What's wrong?"

"I… I can't take him to court," Justin announced, the frown evident on his face. JC almost chuckled, pulling away from him and bringing them so they were face to face.

"What? Of course you can. He can't just get away with this, Justin. Especially not now," The elder responded, secretly knowing that Justin visiting the blonde was sure to do nothing but fuel his fire.

"It's not like I don't want to," Justin sighed, and Josh could sense the defeat in his voice.

"Then why can't you?" He questioned, only to hear Justin sigh once again.

"Nobody's going to believe me when they find out I was having memory problems when I first woke up…," He said, looking down. Josh felt his heart slightly flutter, as he himself hadn't thought of that, but he knew he had to be strong and find a solution. Lance couldn't get away with what he'd done.

"There could be witnesses, surveillance footage, somebody else that saw what happened. You not remembering what happened only proves that you were hurt," He spoke, satisfied with his answer. He saw Justin's face slightly relax, and felt some of the previous tension in his shoulder his hand was resting on disappear.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," Josh teased, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Justin's lips when he playfully rolled his eyes.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know," Josh whispered, bringing his thumb to the small amount of stubble on his boyfriend's chin. "But I like hearing you say it… I love you too."

\--

Josh sat in front of his large vanity early the next morning, frowning as he attempted to style his chocolate brown hair into a style he deemed acceptable. He groaned as he picked up a can of hairspray, hating how his hair felt after it was drenched in the sticky liquid, but he wanted to look good for his lawyer. He wanted to make the best possible impression for Justin. He didn't notice Justin walk in, and stand behind him with a smirk, crossing his arms.

"Remember not to stand near any open flames today," He teased, walking over to his boyfriend and draping his arms over his chest.

"Very funny," Josh replied with a chuckle, kissing Justin's cheek before standing up and taking in Justin's outfit. The younger male wore a sky blue dress shirt, paired with dark black jeans, and JC smiled, offering his approval. Justin had come to him early that morning, expressing his fear that he had no idea how people dressed when meeting a lawyer. Did they go full casual, or full formal? Or somewhere in-between? "You look good."

"Really?" Justin questioned, almost as if he was afraid Josh was making fun of him. However, the elder stepped closer to him, gently placing his hands on his waist.

"Of course…," He responded, smiling when Justin slightly blushed. "You ready for today?"

"I think so… I mean, I don't really know what to expect," The 23 year old honestly replied.

"I know. But don't worry, I'll be there. I'll handle all the legal talk. You okay to talk about what happened if he asks?"

"If it helps get Lance thrown in prison, then yeah, I'll be okay," Justin responded, and Josh smiled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his temple. His boyfriend would be just fine.

\---

"So, there should be no issues then, right?" Joshua questioned, sitting across from his lawyer, Mark Smidt.

"I don't presume there will be, Mr. Chasez. I plan on contacting the Old Town Bar right after this meeting and requesting access to the video surveillance from the night of the attack. Once we have that piece of evidence, we may need Mr. Timberlake to come in and correctly identify the suspects before we start planning our trial. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but I think the suspects would be willing to throw Mr. Bass under the bus if it meant less jail time for them," The young, dark haired lawyer explained. Justin inhaled deeply as he turned to sneak a look at JC, grateful that he was there. Like he promised, he dealt with all the legalities of the conversation while Justin focused on telling his story. The Memphis native knew that if Josh wasn't there, he wouldn't have survived the meeting.

"That's wonderful, Mark," The elder said with a smile, shifting his gaze to his boyfriend with a smile before standing up. Justin followed suite, instantly reaching for JC's hand. "When should we expect to hear from you again?"

"It might take a little while for the bar to get back to me or search for the footage, but Mr. Timberlake, your precision with the date and time will greatly help the search. I'll call you within 48 hours to at least give you and update," The middle-aged male spoke, smiling as he shifted his gaze between the two.

"Thank you, Mark," JC said, smiling as he shook his lawyer's hand, grateful they were at least able to get some answers during their meeting. Justin offered his own smile, waiting for JC to release Mark's hand before shaking it within his own.

"Yeah, I really appreciate this."

"It was my pleasure, Mr. Timberlake. That being said, this isn't going to be an easy journey, but we just have to believe that justice will be served. At times, it may be hard, but it's important to stay strong," The elder male explained, only to receive a nod from the Memphis native.

"I'll try," He offered a small smile, feeling JC squeeze his hand gently, offering a silent promise that no matter what happened, he'd be there for Justin.

\---

Justin picked slowly at his fries as he sat at lunch with Josh. He had roughly an hour before he needed to be at the GQ offices, as he explained to his boss, Johnny Wright that he needed half a day off. Josh decided that Justin needed to eat something before his shift, and wanted to see how his younger boyfriend was processing all the new information he'd received. Slowly, Josh reached forward, taking Justin's hand in his own and gently running his thumb across it.

"Hey," He smiled when Justin's beautiful blue eyes met his. "How you holding up?"

"I'm okay," Justin shrugged, offering a smile in return. "It's just a lot to take in, you know?" He said, and Josh thoughtfully nodded.

"I know. I don't expect this to be easy for you, Justin. Going through a lawsuit and a trial is nerve-wracking, and it's a lot of work, but it's the only way to make sure that people like Lance don't just get away with hurting you."

"I know, Josh. It's just… you seem so calm about the whole idea of going to trial… what if people don't believe me? What if, Lance is clearly guilty but the jury is oblivious?" The 23 year old questioned with a sigh.

"Baby, the only reason I'm so calm about it is because I've done it. Many times. I was just as nervous as you are when I went to my first trial, but you just have to trust yourself and what you know the truth is. I've learned that if you can't believe yourself, how can you expect anyone else to believe you?" The 28 year old explained, feeling his heart swell when he saw Justin smile.

"You're right… It's just… I would have never, ever expected that I would be going to trial against my boyfriend's ex for organizing an attack on me. This is all just so crazy," Justin expressed with a slight chuckle.

"It is crazy," Josh responded, and then heavily sighed.

"What?"

"I know I've mentioned this to you before… but Justin, things like this… they unfortunately happen in my life a lot. People see the time that my family and the company has, and they think that it would be so much easier to just take us out than earning their own time. I want you to know that I'll always protect you, but if you want to be with me, you need to watch your back," The elder of the two explained, looking down at the table. He wasn't expecting it, but he felt Justin squeeze his hand and bring it to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on it.

"I wouldn't be going to court if I didn't want to be with you. I love you, Josh… and I think, as much as I try to pretend like I can just live my normal life and run free, I think I'm finally starting to understand that I need to adjust to this new life, because I want it to be my only life."

"So… what are you saying?" JC questioned, raising his eyes to look at his boyfriend.

"I'm saying I want a bodyguard."


	22. Chapter 22

"How did you not know what caviar was?" Josh chuckled as they sat at dinner in one of his favourite restaurants. The past few days had been insanely busy for Justin and JC, with new Chasez Banks projects and the winter editions of GQ magazine, as well as the impending information about Justin's case against Lance. However, the couple ensured to try their best and have dinner with each other as often as possible, wanting to hear about the other's day when they were apart.

"Are we forgetting that I basically ate frozen dinners every night until I met you?" Justin replied through a laugh.

"So? What do you think?" The slightly elder male asked, his blue eyes focusing on Justin's face.

"I think it makes me feel fancy," He teased, taking another bite. "I'm kidding. It's good. We didn't have to come to this nice of a restaurant you know," Justin spoke, his eyes searching the room, letting his insecurity show. He was brought back to the present when Josh placed his hand on top of his.

"I know. But I missed you today. I felt like doing something romantic," The 28 year old spoke sheepishly, causing Justin to brightly smile and blush.

"I missed you too. Everyone's starting to plan for this holiday party," Justin chuckled, reaching for his glass of red wine and taking a sip.

"Oh yeah. When is that again?"

"December 21st. You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be th-" JC started to reply, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. Slowly, he dug it out and looked at the screen, seeing his mother's name being displayed. "It's my mom," He explained to Justin before pressing accept on the call and placing the device to his ear. "Hey Mom."

"Hey sweetie, what are you doing?" Karen's sweet voice came through the phone.

"I'm at dinner with Justin."

"Oh, say hello to him for us!" She happily spoke, and JC could sense the smile in her voice.

"Mom says hi," Josh chuckled, his eyes connecting with Justin's.

"Hi Karen," Justin replied with a smile.

"He says hi."

"Now, there's a reason I called. Your brother is coming in town in two days and he was hoping to stay with you," She explained, and Josh sighed at the news. His younger brother, Tyler, worked at the Chasez Banks location in Los Angeles, and there had always been some competition between them. When their father named JC as Chasez Banks vice president, Tyler had taken it somewhat personally and refused to take any other position at the headquarters, flying to LA and taking over their branch there. However, the siblings got along somewhat well, and Josh would have been a little excited to see him, if he wasn't buried in work and trying to sort out Justin's trial.

"This really isn't a good time, Mom," Josh responded, running a hand down his face. Justin's eyebrows furrowed, curious as to what the conversation was about.

"Josh, you haven't seen him in 9 months. The least you could do is let him stay with you for a week," Karen said, her voice taking a somewhat stricter tone.

"Mom," JC whined.

"Joshua."

"Ugh - fine. Tell him to call me. Bye," The eldest Chasez son reluctantly agreed, slapping his phone shut and placing it back into his pocket.

"Everything okay?" Justin questioned after a few moments of silence.

"My brother's coming in town and my mom wants him to stay at my place for a week," He explained. Justin just looked at him, expecting him to continue. He couldn't have been so stressed over the fact that his brother was coming to visit, could he?

"And?"

"And, you don't know my brother. He's very competitive. All he ever talks about is how the LA branch is going to be the new headquarters and he's going to be president," He sighed, and it was Justin's turn to place his hand on top of his boyfriend's.

"That hasn't happened," He softly spoke, offering support. Josh smiled, taking Justin's hand in his own and bringing it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his hand.

"And it won't. I've been working too damn hard to let him take it away from me because he's jealous dad didn't pick him. But it's still going to be annoying… plus, I like spending time with you at my place. I don't want to watch what we do in front of him," He pouted.

"One week, Josh. We can be careful for one week."

"I don't know… you've been looking extra hot these days. Don't think I haven't noticed you've bought some new ties."

"You're such an idiot," Justin laughed. "I love you," He continued, leaning forward and pressing his lips to JC's.

"I love you too."

\---

"Man, you really gotta calm down," Joey said from the couch, watching JC rush around his house, looking for his keys. Tyler had called him roughly an hour ago letting him know when he was going to land, and JC promised to pick him up.

"I'm nervous, Joe. What if he doesn't get along with Justin?"

"He will, C. Everyone loves Justin," The Italian tried to make his best friend feel better.

"Every normal person loves Justin. Tyler isn't normal. We know this," The slightly elder male argued, rolling his eyes.

"No matter how many times he tries to break your balls, you know he still loves you and looks up to you. He's your brother," Joey responded. Tyler had told him time and time again how much Joshua inspired him both as a person and a business man, and Joey figured that the reason he tried to compete with Josh was because he felt like he hadn't accomplished anything compared to his older brother.

"I know you're right, and he's a good kid. But sometimes he just goes too far and I'm worried one of those times is going to be with Justin. Especially if he finds out about the whole Lance, trial thing."

"Speaking of, what's going on with that?" Joey asked, as he hadn't heard about the situation in quite some time.

"Mark said the bar claims they're having trouble locating the footage. We can't do anything until they find it," The Chasez Banks vice president explained.

"They better fucking find it soon. I hate that Bass is roaming free right now," Joey said, and Josh scoffed.

"Tell me about it. I'm just glad Justin finally agreed to having a bodyguard with him when he's not at work. It doesn't completely take away my worries, but it helps."

"Oh yeah, has he said anything about how it's been going?" JC's best friend questioned, remembering JC mentioning that Justin was completely against having a guard.

"It's not his favourite thing in the world, but he gets it and that's all that matters," Josh answered, before checking his watch. "Shit. We better get going, Tyler should be landing soon," He finished, pulling his wool jacket on and rushing out of the door, with Joey following close behind.

\---

"I think I see him," Joey nudged JC as they stood in the terminal, searching for the younger Chasez. JC's eyes snapped up to where his friend was looking, and as soon as they did, they focused on Tyler Chasez. The younger Chasez spotted him through the crowded airport and quickly made his way to him. Instantly, Josh's worries faded away, and he gathered his younger brother in an embrace, holding him close.

"Woah," Tyler chuckled, but brought his arms to wrap around JC's torso. Slowly, the siblings pulled away, and JC couldn't wipe the smile off his face. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed his brother. And little did he know, Tyler felt the exact same way. "I know. I know. I missed you too," The younger said with a chuckle, knowing his older brother wouldn't admit it. Still smiling, Josh lifted his hand, ruffling Tyler's short hair.

"Hey man," Joey made his presence known as he watched the siblings interact.

"Hey Joe!" Tyler exclaimed as his eyes focused on the Italian, slapping hands with him before pulling him in for a quick hug. "It's been so long."

"Too long, kid," Joey commented, taking Tyler's bag from his shoulder. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Is Justin at your place?" The youngest Chasez questioned, turning to look at Josh, who smiled.

"Not right now. He should be coming over for dinner though," JC replied.

"Good. I can't wait to meet him," Tyler announced, and JC couldn't stop smiling when he couldn't detect any sarcasm in his voice.

\---

It was now the late evening, and Justin stared at the ceiling as he laid in bed with Joshua, unable to sleep. He wouldn't tell his boyfriend, but the idea of a possible trial hadn't once left his mind, and it terrified him. Although Josh tried to assure him that he was only calm because he'd been to trial before, Justin couldn't shake the feeling that he would never be okay with going to trial, no matter how many times he went. It wasn't that he didn't trust himself, it was the idea of leaving the fate of someone who literally wanted to kill him, in the hands of a group of strangers. How would he survive if Lance was just allowed to walk out of the court room with no repercussions? Somehow, he knew that if Lance walked, he'd kill Justin. Sighing, he turned his head to look at Joshua, who had his back turned to him, his tanned muscles rising and falling with each even breath. Justin leaned down and pressed a kiss to his neck, before removing the covers from himself and quietly getting out of the bed. He made his way down the long, marble staircase before he heard the low volume of the TV coming from JC's living room. He scrunched his eyebrows, slightly confused, but as he reached the TV, he saw Tyler sitting and watching the repeat of the night's basketball game. The sight made Justin smile. Tyler was extremely kind to him when they first met, and Justin hadn't sensed any of the hostile vibe Josh warned him of. He wanted to get to know his boyfriend's brother, and the fact that he liked basketball made he so much more comfortable.

"I heard that was quite the game," He softly commented, not wanting to scare the other man. Still, Tyler slightly jumped, turning to see who else was up at that time, and smiled when he saw Justin.

"Me too. Thought I'd catch the late night replay," He replied. "You're an NBA fan?"

"Hell yeah. The Grizzlies are my team, man," Justin commented, and chuckled when he heard Tyler's fake gag.

"Lakers all the way, dude," He responded.

"So does that make Josh a Knicks fan?" Justin asked, never recalling his boyfriend bringing up sports before, but was slightly hopeful that it just ran in the family and the subject never came up.

"Please, Josh would rather go stare at an art gallery for three hours than go watch a basketball game," He scoffed, and Justin laughed.

"Tell me about it," He responded, having been to his fair share of art galleries in his time so far with JC.

"I'm so glad I found someone I can talk about it with," Tyler genuinely smiled, to which Justin returned.

"Me too."

"You wanna watch the replay?" He questioned, and Justin nodded, making his way over to the couch and sitting next to him. The two sat as they watched the game, bonding over their love of the sport and their wishfulness that Josh would somehow start watching it with them. Both Justin and Tyler felt extremely comfortable with each other, and were grateful that there was no need to pretend to like each other. Before they knew it, the game was over.

"Man, what a game," Justin breathed with a smile.

"Tell me about it," Tyler chuckled, then checked the large clock on the wall, seeing that it was now 3:30am. He shifted his eyes to Justin, expecting to see his shoulders slumping or a yawn escaping, but besides the dark circles that were all too apparent under his eyes, Justin looked to be wide awake. "Shit. It's almost 4am. I know I'm jet-lagged as hell, but how are you not tired?" He questioned, seeing Justin tense up.

"I haven't been able to sleep lately," He shrugged, and Tyler could tell he wasn't telling him the full story.

"Everything okay?" The youngest Chasez questioned, placing a gentle hand on his knee. As Justin's eyes shifted to the hand, he slowly blinked, looking back up into Tyler's chocolate brown eyes, sensing the genuine care.

"Not really," He sighed. He figured that if he couldn't talk to Josh about how he was feeling, he could at least talk to his brother. Tyler sensed the hesitation, and smiled small at the Memphis native.

"You can talk to me. I'm not Josh, and I won't tell him anything we talk about. You can trust me," He assured, and Justin took a deep breath, believing the youngest Chasez.

"Okay."


	23. Chapter 23

Justin and Tyler sat into the early hours of the morning, talking about almost every aspect of their lives. From Justin's hidden feelings about the trial, to Tyler disclosing that he thought he'd never be as good as Josh, the two bonded over feelings they didn't even know they had, and didn't even realize the sun starting to rise. The shocked gasp came when Tyler checked his watch.

"Holy shit. It's 6:30," He announced, finally stopping to recognize how tired he was. However, Justin just shrugged. He felt a little better after talking to someone about how he felt, but he knew his feelings would never fully subside until the trial was over. He knew Lance would be constantly on his mind until he was announced guilty. "Look, I know this is hard. And I know it's a lot easier said than done, but you can't let this tear you apart. The last thing you want happening is draining yourself so you're not even able to testify," He explained in a soft voice, not wanting to come off rude and hostile, but comforting.

"I know," Justin sighed. "I need to toughen up. But -" He started, trailing off.

"But what?" Tyler encouraged, his voice just above a whisper. He felt his heart sink when Justin looked up at him, his light blue eyes filled with tears.

"If he doesn't go to jail… he's going to kill me," Justin whispered. He hadn't told Joshua about Lance's threat, mostly because he didn't want to worry the older man. Josh would never let Justin leave the house if he knew Lance was plotting his murder. Tyler took a deep breath, trying to conceal the shock on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"When… when I went to visit Lance, he told me that he was waiting to kill me because he only got to experience the fun of it once, and he wanted to wait until the right time… if I take him to court and he walks, there's no better time. I know he's going to kill me if he doesn't get convicted, Tyler. I know it," The 23 year old explained, his eyes focused on the beige fabric of the couch.

"Hey, you can't think like that. You can't let Lance get into your head. You know it's what he wants," Tyler replied, causing Justin to look up and slightly smile.

"I know. He wants me to crumble before the trial, and I hate that it's working. It's taking over my entire life," He sighed, shaking his head. Tyler was about to continue, but the two soon heard footsteps coming down the stairs and whipped their heads to see a newly awoken JC. The eldest of the three rubbed his eyes, before focusing on the two figures sitting on the couch.

"Should I be worried that my brother and boyfriend are hanging out at 6:30 in the morning on a Tuesday?" He questioned.

"Just watching the highlights from the Lakers game last night. We did miss it," Tyler responded, and Justin was grateful for the cover up.

"Oh, great," Josh replied, rolling his eyes before reaching the couch and leaning down to press a kiss on top of Justin's head. "I forgot you like basketball too."

"It's only a matter of time before we get you to a game," Justin chuckled, tilting his head so his lips could meet JC's.

"I don't think so," He chuckled, before turning serious. "I hope you weren't up all night watching the stupid game. You've got a long day ahead of you," The 26 year old said, his protective instincts showing.

"Yes, father," Justin playfully rolled his eyes before standing up. "I'll be fine."

"You want a ride?" He questioned, and the younger smiled small.

"You mean do I want a ride from your driver?" Justin teased, continuing the ongoing joke between the two.

"Hey! You do that too?!" Tyler exclaimed, pointing at Justin with an amused look on his face.

"Isn't it the best?!" Justin responded with a chuckle, turning to look at his boyfriend's brother with a huge smile. Josh looked between the two, attempting to look annoyed, but couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face. All his worries about Tyler and Justin getting along were quickly fading away, and he was beginning to worry about them getting along too well.

"Just go get ready," Josh said as he playfully rolled his eyes, slapping Justin's ass as they made their way up the stairs.

"You think we should say something?" Britney whispered as she leaned on the doorframe of Justin's office with a small smile. She stood alongside Chris as the two peered inside Justin's office, seeing the graphic editor asleep at his desk, his chin resting in his palm.

"Nah, give him a couple minutes. The poor kid is beat. Let's go eat at my desk," Chris replied with a chuckle, putting his arm around the female and leading her into the kitchen, where they both took their lunches and walked towards Chris' desk.

"Justin's been telling me you're looking for a new assistant for Mr. Wright. Have you found anyone yet?" Britney asked as she placed a bite of her garden salad into her mouth and chewed, not missing Chris' sigh.

"Not yet," He paused to take a bite of his deep dish pizza. "Everyone I've met just isn't what I'm looking for. Johnny's been mentioning he doesn't know how much longer he has left in him before he retires so I want someone to work alongside him and eventually be able to take over his role when he leaves," The elder explained. Hearing this, Britney's fork froze halfway to her mouth, as she recalled Justin telling her that he himself hoped to one day have Johnny's job. She didn't want to say anything, but she knew Justin would be crushed once he found out.

"That definitely has to make your search harder," She chose to say, staying safe.

"Oh, it does. To be honest, that's kind of why I wanted Justin to have an assistant too. So that if Johnny's assistant didn't want the job, maybe Justin's did," He explained nonchalantly, and finally, Britney decided she needed to speak up.

"Don't you think Justin would get upset?" The blonde questioned, not at all expecting Chris to turn to her, a confused look plastered on his face.

"Why would he be upset?"

"Don't you think he'd expect to get offered the job before any assistants?"

"Justin has a job. A job he's very good at," Chris brushed off, and Britney could sense there was more to his answer.

"You don't think he could handle it, do you?" She asked, more as a statement rather than a comment.

"I didn't say that," He quickly responded, giving Britney just enough time to roll her eyes.

"Chris, you have to stop sheltering him. You said it yourself, he's amazing at what he does. I know for a fact he would really appreciate the opportunity to be editor in chief," She explained, not wanting to give all the details of what Justin said to her.

"Brit, he's still new here," Chris lowly said.

"So what? He'll have us. Come on, you know his potential. Imagine the issues he could create if he was in charge."

"I just don't think now is the right time. He'll get his promotion when the time is right."

"And when will that time be, Chris?" The blonde questioned, her gaze never leaving Chris', her tone never wavering. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence, and barely noticed Justin appear behind them, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm going to assume you're having a staring contest?" Justin teased with slight confusion, slapping his hand on Chris' back as he pulled up a chair next to the two.

"Brit was convinced she could beat me. Not like we haven't played this game three times already," The eldest replied with a shrug, his eyes warning the female not to mention the details of their actual conversation to their friend.

"Yeah," Britney spoke as she cleared her throat. "Third times a charm, right?"

"You guys are fucking weird," The Memphis native chuckled, reaching forward and taking a piece of lettuce from Britney's salad and tossing it into his mouth as she watched on with amusement.

"How was your nap?" She snickered, knowing it would embarrass her friend.

"You could've got me up," Justin replied, reaching for another piece of lettuce, only to have his hand swatted away.

"And you could've brought your own lunch."

"It was a late night. Josh's brother is staying with him and I couldn't sleep so I went to hang out with him," The 24 year old explained, the pout reaching his mouth when he realized he likely would not be eating until he got back to Josh's later that night.

"You've been having a lot of problems sleeping lately," Chris commented, his protectiveness shining through. Justin sighed, his blue, tired eyes raising to meet his best friend's.

"It's this fucking trial, man. I can't stop thinking about it."

"Dude, you gotta snap out of this whole trial funk you're in. What are you going to do when you actually need to testify?" Justin's best friend questioned, genuinely concerned.

"I have no idea," He sighed, his shoulders slumping, almost like he was giving up. "I've been thinking it might be easier to just not go to trial."

"Are you nuts?!" Chris exclaimed, louder than all three of them expected. "Sorry," He mumbled shamefully when all of GQ's employees on their floor whipped their heads towards them. "Justin, you have to go to trial."

"Why do I have to? Lance attacked me. I should be the one to decide if I want to charge him or not."

"So you'd rather let him walk free and have zero consequences for almost murdering you?" Chris asked, his voice full of disgust. Britney, yet to say anything on the subject, turned to Justin and could see him getting upset, so she decided to step in.

"Look, maybe now's not a good time to talk about this," She softly said, her hand resting on Justin's knee.

"And when is, Britney? When Lance flees the country and gets away with attempted murder?!" Chris exclaimed, his voice raising once again.

"No! I'm just saying that maybe we should talk about this outside of work!" Britney responded, her own voice raising.

"And where do you suggest we talk about this, Britney?!"

"Stop!" Justin yelled, his fists angrily pounding on the desk to get his friends' attention. Instantly, the two snapped their mouths shut and turned to look at him. "Jesus fucking Christ, you guys are acting as if you have any say in this at all! This is my battle to fight, I don't need your opinions! I don't want your opinions! This isn't a we thing, this is a me thing and I thought you two would be there for me no matter what I decided to do because I thought we were friends. But I guess I was wrong," The 24 year old finished, standing up and shaking his head disappointingly at the two before turning his back and walking to the direction of his office. Britney and Chris sighed as they looked at each other, ashamed of what they'd done.

"He's right you know," Britney spoke, her voice low, her eyes focusing on the grey floor of their office.

"Of course he's right… We just care a lot," Chris replied with a sigh.

"That we do. But we should care enough to respect his choices as an individual. I can't imagine being what he's been through then having to decide if you want to tell the world about it and placing your entire trust in them," She sadly said, sadly smiling when she heard Chris sigh once again.

"I know. And I think that's why he's having so much hesitation. He mentioned to me that the club is having a hard time finding the footage of that night. Without that, there's no evidence that anything happened. Lance's reputation in this city is way more powerful than Justin's," Chris spoke, starting to understand where his best friend was coming from.

"And if Lance walks, he's not going to be happy Justin took him to court. Who says he's not going to go for round 2? Who says he won't kill him?" Britney questioned, her voice trailing into a whisper.

"Hey," The elder lowered his voice to a whisper, scooting closer to the female and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can't think like that. Like you said, we just have to support whatever decision he makes and trust it's the right one. You know JC'll never let anyone come close to him ever again," He finished with a chuckle.

"I know," Britney giggled, before turning serious once again, looking at Justin's now closed office door. "You think we should go talk to him?"

"Give him some time. He's right. It's his battle to fight and he needs to make a decision on his own. He'll come to us when he's ready," Chris smiled, running his hand up and down her arm in comfort. "My guess is that he won't even last a day without us."

\----

"Here you go," JC spoke softly, placing the plate of elegant dinner in front of Justin, kissing his temple gently before taking his seat at the table.

"Thanks," Justin lowly replied, barely raising his eyes.

"Hey," Josh whispered, reaching across the table and placing a gently hand on top of his boyfriend's. "What's wrong?"

"Just had a fight at work. I'll be fine," The younger replied, looking up from his plate slightly, offering a small smile and a shrug. However, Josh wasn't pleased with the answer and wasn't ready to drop the subject just yet.

"A fight? With who?" He questioned, watching as Justin sighed, his fork lowering to the table.

"Look, I don't really want to talk about it. I've been waiting to see you all day and I'd just really like to focus on us right now."

"But -" Josh started, only to have Justin interrupt him.

"Jesus fucking christ! I don't want to talk about what happened at work today! I don't want to talk about this fucking trial! Excuse me for just wanting to come home and have a nice dinner with my boyfriend and expect him to take my mind off everything!" The Memphis native exclaimed, his anger reaching a breaking point, leaving Josh shocked.

"I… I'm sorry," JC whispered, and as Justin looked at his perfectly tanned face, all he could see was the genuine love and concern his boyfriend had for him, and instantly sighed, feeling terrible for his outburst.

"No, I'm sorry," He softly said, getting up and walking over to JC, sitting on his knee and wrapping his arms around his neck. "It's just been a really hard day. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"I get it, babe. I do. This hasn't been easy for you and constantly being reminded of it doesn't help, I'm sure," The elder said, wrapping his arms around Justin's torso and holding him close. "I just love you so much."

"I love you too, Josh. I love you more than I've ever loved anything in my entire life. And I'm really sorry I'm having such a hard time with this trial idea…"

"Hey, don't say that. There's nothing for you to feel bad about. You probably never in a million years thought something like this would ever happen to you and it's not like you randomly wake up one day and just get used to the idea," JC said with a chuckle, placing a hand on Justin's cheek. "But trust me, baby. If Lance doesn't pay for this now, he'll never learn, and I'm not willing to lose you."

"I'm not willing to lose you either, and as hard as this might be for me… I'd do anything for you," Justin replied, looking deep into Josh's sea blue eyes, leaning in until their lips met in a passionate, loving kiss. Justin swung his other leg over Josh's waist to cradle him, while Josh's hand flew up to Justin's rapidly growing, light brown curls. Slowly, Justin pulled his lips away and opened his eyes, still seeing the concern on Josh's face. "It was Britney and Chris," He simply said.

"It was Britney and Chris what?" JC questioned, not really following his lover.

"Who I got into a fight with," The 24 year old said with a sigh. "I just - all they wanted to talk about with the trial and it was too much for me. They kept giving me their own opinions and when I tried to give mine they just completely ignored me."

"You know they're worried about you and they're just trying to help," JC tried to comfort, his arms lowering to secure themselves around his lover's waist.

"I know… but I just wish they'd lay off for a little bit. My life isn't this trial."

"You'd think they're the ones that are suing," Josh teased, causing Justin to chuckle, instantly feeling better.

"I will say, I am pretty stoked to see what Britney's gonna pull out during her testimony," Justin added a joke of his own, only imagining what his blonde friend would say and do during the trial. The couple both laughed before Justin leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Josh's lips and standing up, heading back to his seat at the table. "Let's eat."

It was now later that evening, and Justin laid on the couch, his feet in JC's lap, fast asleep as the elder of the two watched whatever he could find on TV, the volume on mute. He brought his hands to the arches of Justin's feet, massaging them gently, not wanting to wake his lover. He knew Justin was exhausted and wanted him to get enough sleep for the next 8 hour day ahead of him. The only thing to interrupt the peaceful atmosphere was the shrill of JC's ringing cell phone. Instantly, the Maryland native jumped to grab the device and quickly placed it to his ear, grateful when all Justin did was shift before returning to his peaceful slumber.

"Hello?" He questioned, slightly confused as to who would be calling him that late in the evening.

"Mr. Chasez, it's Mark. I have some bad news."


	24. Chapter 24

"Mark.. bad news? What do you mean?" JC questioned, gently removing Justin's legs from his lap and placing them on the couch before getting up and walking away. The lawyer loudly sighed, and JC could tell he was exhausted.

"The bar just contacted me… the footage from the night Justin was attacked is gone," He replied, and Josh had to stop the phone from slipping out of his hand in shock.

"How… how does an entire night of security footage just go missing?" JC attempted to find the right words. He slowly felt the anger creeping up on him, as he realized there could only be one possible answer to his question.

"Trust me, JC. I'm thinking the same thing you are. But who knows what he's done with the footage? We can't just call the police without any evidence that he took it," Mark responded, hating that he had to be so pessimistic.

"Come on, Mark. What else could have happened to it? Unless one of the employees got wasted and specifically deleted that one night without touching anything else in the system, all signs point to Lance."

"I know that, and you know that. But the police won't search his house without something concrete and physical that points to him having anything to do with the security cameras," The lawyer said, hating having to bring all the legalities into such a conversation, but he knew that if he didn't, Josh wouldn't fully comprehend the difficulty of the situation they were now in.

"That fucking bastard," Josh spoke through clenched teeth as he took a deep breath to stay calm. "I can't believe he's going to get away with almost killing Justin."

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Mark chimed in.

"What other hope to we have, Mark? Our only evidence that Justin was even attacked is gone. How in the hell are we supposed to find out who even did it, yet alone prove that Lance was behind it?" The Maryland native asked, the defeat prevalent in his tone.

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I'm not even saying it's going to work. But there has to be some employee, some random person passing by that witnessed it. There's no way in hell the outside of a New York bar could be completely empty at 1am on a Friday night," Mark responded.

"So what do we do?"

"You, do nothing except make sure Justin's okay. I am going down to the bar myself to try and interview any employees that may have been working that night," Mark said, not missing JC's sigh. "Look, Jayce. I know this isn't what you were expecting, but we have to change our plans. We have to try something," He spoke, trying to reinstall hope in the 28 year old. Once again, JC sighed, looking over at his sweet, innocent boyfriend. A boyfriend that may never receive the justice he deserved. A boyfriend that may have to live the rest of his life watching his back to make sure Lance Bass wasn't lurking around the corner.

"I don't know what we're gonna do if Lance gets away with this."

"Which is why we're not thinking like that yet. You have to stop letting Lance get into your head. You know that's what he wants," The lawyer spoke, and as Josh once again turned to look at Justin, he knew he was right.

"I know, I know. I need to focus on Justin," He responded, and almost on cue, he noticed the 23 year old slightly rubbing his eyes, an indication that he was waking up. "I'll call you tomorrow, Mark," He finished, before placing his phone on the nearest table he could find and walking straight over to the couch, waiting for Justin to fully open his eyes. When he did, the deep blue orbs focused on JC, and instantly flooded with confusion.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked with a slight chuckle. Josh tried to return it, tired to do something to relay the impression that he wasn't currently enraged, defeated and exhausted, but he couldn't lie to his boyfriend. So, he slowly sat next to Justin, reaching up and placing a gentle hand on his cheek before deciding to speak.

"Mark called,' He started, and the confusion didn't waver whatsoever from Justin's eyes.

"Okay? And?"

"And the footage from the night of your attack is gone," JC slowly said, waiting for some kind of reaction. However, Justin just shrugged.

"Okay," He responded, as if it was nothing. Josh revoked his hand from Justin's tan cheek, looking at him as if he was insane.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"The footage from my attack is gone," Justin repeated.

"Right. So how can you just be okay with that?" JC questioned, still surprised by the younger male's answer.

"Haven't you been listening to me at all, Josh? I don't really want to go to court. This just makes my decision all that easier," He said calmly. JC's eyebrows furrowed, and he could start to feel the anger bubble up inside of him.

"So you want Lance to get away with this?" The 28 year old snapped back, and Justin didn't miss the sass in his tone.

"When have I ever said I wanted Lance to get away with this? I said I didn't want to go to court. All of our friends and family know he did it. He'll never get another business opportunity again because his reputation is ruined. Why isn't that enough?" Justin asked, trying to remain as calm as possible. The last thing he wanted to do with Josh was argue, he just wanted him to understand his point of view.

"God, Justin! Why don't you get it?! Our friends and family knowing he did it doesn't stop him from continuing to fuck with our relationship?! He's not going to stop until he gets what he wants or he's thrown in prison! I don't understand why you're being so selfish!" Josh continued to exclaim. It was then that Justin sprung up from the couch, standing face to face with his boyfriend.

"No, Joshua, you don't get it because you're not the one that's going to be on the stand! You're not the one that has to face him! And yes, you've been to court before but I haven't and excuse me if I'm not completely comfortable with having my life in the hands of some strangers!" Justin finally exploded. Josh was taken aback by the younger male's outburst, and the two just stared at each other, each waiting for the other to make the next move. The tension was slightly broken when Tyler slowly walked down the stairs, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Could you guys not have waited until the morning to fight?" He asked softly, the sleep still filling his voice.

"Don't worry. You won't have to hear us fighting anymore," Justin spat back, reaching the front door and grabbing his jacket.

"Where are you going?!" The Maryland native exclaimed, racing to where his boyfriend stood and slightly pulling Justin's light green jacket away from his hands.

"Does it matter?" Justin questioned, his snappy attitude only a facade to hide his hurt at the couples first fight.

"Of course it matters," JC responded, rolling his eyes. "It's raining outside," He finished. Although the two were fighting, Josh knew he would never be able to live with himself if anything happened to his Justin.

"I'll make sure to tune into your weather broadcast tomorrow to see if I give a fuck," Justin spat, ripping his jacket out of JC's hands before heading out the door, slamming it behind him. Josh went to race after his younger lover, but was stopped when he felt two strong arms wrap around his waist, pulling him back.

"Let him go," Tyler spoke.

"Ty, what do you mean let him go?! It's fucking raining outside and he's upset! He shouldn't be going anywhere by himself!" Josh exclaimed, his anger quickly fading into concern for his boyfriend.

"Justin's a big boy. He can take care of himself. If you go after him it's just going to lead to a bigger fight," The younger Chasez tried to reason, and when JC finally stopped fighting against his grip, he knew it worked. Slowly, his hands lowered and Josh pulled away, walking over to the couch and throwing himself down onto it, lowering his head into his hands.

"Fuck," He breathed out, the situation finally sinking in. Tyler was concerned, but also did not want to push his older brother too far, so decided to silently sit next to him on the couch, waiting for him to make the first move. It took a few moments of silence, but finally, Joshua started speaking. "This fucking Lance trial is ruining my relationship," He sighed, and somehow, Tyler kicked himself internally for not guessing the trail had something to do with the couple's fight.

"What do you mean?"

"My lawyer called and said the footage is missing from Justin's attack. The club doesn't have any record of it ever happening… I told Justin and he just, he didn't care. He said he didn't even really want to go to court," JC spoke, taking deep breaths occasionally to prevent the anger from building up once again.

"Can you blame him?" Tyler questioned, almost with a scoff. Josh whipped his head to turn to the younger male, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Of course I can blame him! If Justin doesn't go to court Lance is going to get away with this. And I know Lance Bass. He's not going to stop until we're broken up."

"Or Justin's dead."

"Huh?" JC asked, Tyler's answer way too quick for his liking.

"Look, Jayce… Justin has a good reason to be hesitant to go to trial…," The younger Chasez slowly spoke, recalling the conversation he'd had with his brother's boyfriend. He knew he'd promised that he wouldn't say anything to Josh, but he figured if it would help amend their fight, Justin would forgive him.

"I get it. He's nervous because he's never done it before."

"No, that's not it… The other day we were talking and… Justin really opened up to me… and there's some things he's not telling you," Tyler said, his voice lowering to almost a whisper.

"What is he hiding?" He questioned, the anger fading and quickly being replaced with concern and desperation.

"I promised I wouldn't tell Justin what we talked about…"

"If it helps me get my boyfriend back, I don't give a fuck, Ty. Tell me," The older sibling demanded. Tyler slowly raised his brown eyes and connected them to Josh's green, sighing deeply.

"Okay…"

—-

Justin wiped his eyes violently as he shut the door of his car shut and pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. He looked at cute white exterior of the small house in front of him, silently praying he was at the right place as he walked up the doorsteps and rang the doorbell. He felt bad for disturbing his friend in the middle of the night, but he knew at that moment, he didn't want to be alone. He couldn't go back to his apartment. Several minutes passed with no answer at the door, and just before Justin went to turn around to head back to his car, the door slowly opened. The Memphis native grew confused as he didn't see anyone at his eye level, and jumped when he heard a voice.

"You should be sleeping, Mister," A small voice spoke and when Justin looked down, he saw a small girl standing before him, holding the door open with one hand, another hand on her hip.

"Who is it, Jamie Lynn?" Justin heard a familiar voice and then saw Britney appear at the door. She was extremely surprised to see Justin, as she assumed the two of them were still fighting.

"Justin?" The blonde questioned as she rubbed her eyes, wanting to make sure she wasn't still sleeping.

"Hey… um, can I come in?" The male shyly asked. As mad as he was at Chris and Britney at lunch, he knew he needed a best friend.

"Oh god, of course. Jamie Lynn, this is a friend of mine. You head back to bed now, okay?" The blonde said, once again turning to the little girl who happily smiled.

"Okay Brit," She responded before skipping up the stairs. Justin smiled as he watched the girl retreat, before following his friend inside.

"She's cute," He commented, unsure of Britney's relationship to the young girl. She did look like Britney, but Justin didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

"Don't worry, J. I don't have a secret kid," Britney chuckled, knowing that's where his head went. "She's my little sister. I'm just watching her while my parents are on a business trip," She finished, helping Justin shake off his soaking wet jacket and placing it on the coat rack. "Come sit," She smiled, leading him to the couch. "Now, not that I'm not so so happy to see you, especially after today, but couldn't it wait until the morning?" Britney laughed.

"I'm sorry… for everything," Justin told her with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for bothering you so late, I'm sorry for today…"

"No, I'm sorry. We shouldn't have been getting so into your business. You know it's your choice and we're going to respect you no matter what… but can we promise to never fight again?" She asked, her eyes hopeful as Justin nodded with a huge smile, giving her silent permission to jump up and race into his arms, holding him tightly. "I love you, JuJu."

"I love you too, BritBrit," Justin chuckled, before inhaling a breath. "But you're squeezing me to death here."

"Sorry," She quickly said, releasing her friend and sitting next to him on the couch, extending her legs so that they rested on his lap. "Now, tell me why you're here at almost 3 o'clock in the morning," The blonde pried, as Justin sighed.

"I got into a fight with Josh," He said regretfully.

"About what?!" She exclaimed, immediately throwing her hand over her mouth when she realized how loud she was being. The last thing she wanted to do was wake up her baby sister again. "Sorry," She whispered. "About what?"

"About what else? This dumbass Lance trial. The bar called our lawyer and said the footage from the night of my attack is gone. As you know, I don't really want to go to trial anyways so I wasn't really bothered by it," Justin explained.

"But JC was," She finished for him.

"Oh God, he was pissed. And then he was mad at me that I didn't care about it and he started freaking out about me being selfish…," The Memphis native spoke, his voice trailing off.

"You know you're not selfish," The blonde whispered, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He's just worried."

"I know he is. But sometimes I wish he would see things from my point of view. He just doesn't get it. Lance wants nothing more than to kill me. And yes, I would love nothing more than for him to be behind bars -"

"Wait, what did you just say?" Britney cut him off. She knew Lance had attacked Justin once before, but she didn't ever think it would escalate into anything further.

"That I would love for Lance to be behind bars?"

"No. Did you just say Lance wants to kill you?"

"Um, yeah.. He basically told me if he walks away from the trial he's going to kill me and the reason he didn't have me killed the first time was because he wanted to save the fun," Justin calmly explained, and Britney instantly paled, feeling as if she was going to vomit. She couldn't believe her best friend had been dealing with such a threat on his own.

"God, Justin… I'm so sorry. No wonder you don't want to go to court," She said, reaching forward and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"I wish Josh would understand that but if I tell him what Lance said he's never going to let me leave the house again," He said with a slight chuckle, but somehow, Britney knew he wasn't joking. The 23 year old slowly pulled away from the blonde, looking at her with tear filled eyes. "God, Brit… what am I going to do?"


	25. Chapter 25

The sun peered against Justin's closed eyes, forcing his eyes to open as he immediately felt uneasy. He slowly looked around at his surroundings and quickly realized that he was not laying on Josh's satin couch, but rather a leather one, the uncomfortable fabric making his neck ache. Soon, the memories from the previous night flooded back, and the 23 year old let out a loud groan, turning and shoving his face into the cushion.

"That's definitely not a noise you want to hear when you wake up," Britney said with a giggle as she headed towards the couch. Justin forced himself to turn over, and when he did, he couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face when he saw the blonde holding a plate of eggs, bacon and toast. "Thought you could use a little pick me up," She finished with a smile.

"You read my mind," He smiled, fully sitting up and taking the plate from her, allowing her to sit on the couch next to him. "Thanks for letting me crash here last night."

"You know you're welcome to any time," Britney smiled, sitting next to him on the couch. "Do you plan on talking to JC today?" She questioned, knowing the two couldn't live without each other. Justin sighed, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth.

"Yeah," He said, chewing the meat and swallowing it before continuing. "I think I may have overreacted."

"Hey, I don't think you did. If someone told me that they're sick enough to wait to kill me, I wouldn't want to risk anything either," She responded, now so much more aware of the seriousness of the situation. "I just think you need to tell JC what Lance said. Yes, he's going to be overprotective of you, but at least he'll understand where you're coming from," She suggested.

"You're right… I know you're right… it's just - I don't know, I felt like I gave up so much by agreeing to have a bodyguard with me and I have no idea what his reaction is going to be once I tell him this. My freedom is going to be gone," Justin sighed once again.

"Well don't let him take your freedom. Jus, I love you, but you keep forgetting you're a grown man. You shouldn't feel completely powerless in your own life."

"I just love him so much.. I don't want to mess anything up," The Memphis native said, now moving his fork around the plate.

"And you won't. You're both grown adults and you should respect JC enough to lay out your boundaries and he should respect you enough to stay within them. Relationships are a two way street. But just remember, he's not doing this just to be difficult. He really does care about you and wants you to be safe, so don't be too hard on him," She said, the smile on her face as she ran her hands through Justin's short curls.

"I know," The male sighed, finishing up his breakfast before leaning back into the couch. "But enough about me and my love life problems. What are you up to today?"

"Probably going to take Jamie Lynn shopping. Get her one of those stereotypical 'I love NYC' shirts," She giggled, before nudging her friend's shoulder. "She told me she thinks you're cute," She said, seeing Justin finally smile.

"Bring her to have dinner with Josh and I tonight," Justin suggested, knowing the child would love his boyfriend's extravagant lifestyle.

"You're that sure you and JC are going to make up?" Britney questioned, her hands playfully crossing against her chest.

"Come on, Brit. This is me you're talking about," He chuckled, and Britney playfully rolled her eyes.

"You're right, what was I thinking?" She laughed, somehow knowing Justin's joke was a way of hiding his insecurity that Josh may not forgive him. "JC is going to take one look at you and bow at your feet asking for forgiveness," The blonde dramatically added.

"That's the plan," Justin shrugged with a wink, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I should probably head to my place and take a shower before I go over there," He stood up, stretching his arms.

"God forbid he begs for your forgiveness if you haven't showered," Britney teased, laughing when Justin picked up a pillow from her couch and playfully hit her with it.

"I really do appreciate you letting me stay here," Justin expressed once again, turning serious. He knew he'd given the blonde a hard time at work, and he was grateful that she was still willing to support him.

"It's going to take a lot more than one stupid little fight to get rid of me," She responded, her smile bright.

"Good. I love you, BritBrit," The Memphis native said gratefully, opening his arms, grateful when Britney threw herself into them, her arms coming around her friend's torso.

"I love you too, JuJu. I'll call you later to see if yours and Jamie Lynn's dinner date is still on," She teased, watching as Justin playfully rolled his eyes and leaned forward to kiss her cheek before grabbing his jacket and heading out of the house.

\---

Justin ran his hand through his unruly curls as he got off the elevator in his apartment building. He couldn't wait to get back into his place, toss off the clothes he wore yesterday and stand under the scorching hot water of his shower. It'd been a long 24 hours, and although all his anger towards Josh, Britney and Chris hadn't completely faded, he realized he needed them too much in his life to fight with them. But, he also learned that he needed to communicate more. Even though no one was saying it to him, Justin knew deep down that if he'd voiced what Lance had said to him, or even let his friends know that he felt like he was out of control in the situation, none of the fights would've happened. After losing his mother, Justin shut himself off to his feelings, only letting them burrow up until they exploded. And unfortunately, the day prior was one of the explosions. He started to think about what he was going to say to Josh when he saw him, but soon reached his apartment and saw a figure sitting up against the door, a wool black coat tightly around the body, the hood lowered. Justin's eyebrows furrowed, wondering who would be visiting him.

"Um… can I help you?" He timidly questioned, watching as the figure sprung up, revealing Joshua.

"Baby," The 28 year old breathed, instantly wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and holding on tight. Justin was confused. The last time he'd seen his lover, they were screaming and calling each other names… and now… Josh was holding onto him as if he was going to disappear into thin air.

"Hi," Justin breathed out his response as Josh finally pulled his arms away. He slowly turned away from the man and unlocked his door, allowing JC to follow him inside. "I actually came here to get ready to come over and talk to you," He explained, plopping on his couch, without breaking the eye contact he shared with Josh. Soon, the elder followed, sitting next to Justin on the couch.

"So let's talk," JC whispered, reaching over and grabbing Justin's hand. "Justin, I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry too!" The Memphis native exclaimed, a wave of relief flooding over him.

"No, god no. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Of course I do! You were just trying to protect me, Josh. I didn't need to freak out on you the way I did," Justin explained, confused when Josh just shook his head.

"Justin… I get it because… I know," He said in a low tone, causing the younger to slowly remove his hand from Josh's grasp, his eyes searching Josh's for an indication of what was going to come next.

"You know what?" He whispered, his voice shaky. There were so many things Josh could know, and as he thought of the possibility most likely, his voice got caught in his throat.

"I know what Lance said to you. I know… that he told you he's waiting to kill you," JC replied, finding himself having a hard time finishing his sentence. Justin was horrified. Sure, he wanted Josh to find out, felt like he needed him to find out, but he wanted himself to have the conversation.

"H-How did you find out?" Justin whispered, racking his brain to come up with the answer. Soon, he recalled having his late night talk with Josh's younger brother just a few days prior and concluded that was the only way Josh could have found it. "Tyler told you…," He finished, not a question, but a statement.

"I basically forced it out of him. He refused to tell me. So don't be mad at him," He felt the need to say, not wanting to cause any issues in Justin and Tyler's new found friendship.

"You must be pretty persuasive," The Memphis native said, a quick chuckle in his voice.

"I'm his older brother. You have no idea," Josh lightly teased, before reaching up and placing a hand on Justin's cheek. "I really am sorry, Justin. I had no idea you were going through this."

"You wouldn't have had any way of knowing."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, searching Justin's blue orbs for eye contact. Justin started to try to speak, but couldn't help the tears from brimming in his eyes, the exhaustion evidence on his face. Josh instantly felt his heart break, moving his thumb to wipe away the single tear that fell from his eye. "Hey… please talk to me."

"I… I didn't want to lose who I am," Justin sniffled, forcing his eyes shut, more salty tears running down his cheeks. As soon as they fell, Justin angrily reached up and wiped them, almost as if he was upset at himself for crying. "I'm sorry. It's stupid."

"Don't do this, Justin. Don't shut down on me. Talk to me," JC encouraged. Based on his lover's outburst the previous night, Josh had an inkling that Justin had some issues revealing his feelings. Justin inhaled a shaky breath, getting ready to finally express his feelings.

"I just - I -" Justin breathed, his hands starting to tingle.

"Justin. Hey, baby. Look at me, right at me," Josh spoke softly, waiting for Justin's darting eyes to finally focus on his. "Relax. It's just me. You can tell me anything," He said, and Justin nodded. It was just Josh. Josh, who loved him.

"I was worried how you were going to react. Don't - God, don't get me wrong. I love that you want to protect me, but…" Justin said, starting to trail off.

"Were you thinking I wouldn't let you leave the house without an entire team of secret service?" Josh questioned with a slight smile, knowing where Justin was going. At his boyfriend's light tone, Justin finally met his eyes voluntarily.

"You could say that."

"Justin, I know I can be overprotective at times, but I still want you to live your life. I don't expect you to put everything on hold and live in a bubble. I go everywhere with one security guard. Should I have more than that? Obviously, but I refuse more than that. You still need room to breathe, and I get that. You need to be your own security sometimes," JC explained, and Justin let out a breath he was holding, somewhat surprised at how wise Josh's statement was. "Plus, when I'm around you, I'm your security guard. I won't let anyone touch you," He added, and Justin smiled. That was the boyfriend he knew and loved.

"I'm sorry.. I should've known you would understand. You go through this everyday…"

"You know now," JC smiled, leaning forward and pressing a sweet, but passionate kiss on Justin's lips. He pulled away, smiling small as he watched Justin's eyes slowly open. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Justin whispered, missing the feeling of his boyfriend's lips as soon as they left. He leaned over, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder, smiling when he felt Josh kiss his temple.

"So I'm taking it you want me to call Mark and tell him to drop the investigation?" JC asked, and Justin pulled his head away, looking at Josh thoughtfully.

"Would you be mad?"

"Not as long as you're here."

"Well good. Because I don't plan to go anywhere. Ever."

\---

"We should probably get everything ready for Jamie Lynn and Brit," Justin breathed as he tiredly lifted his head off of Josh's bare chest. The two decided that after the milestone of their first fight as a couple, they needed to 'officially' make up and had just finished their third love making session.

"My chef got everything prepared. I knew you wouldn't be able to do much after I got through with you. I was craving you so much last night," Josh huskily replied, and as Justin rolled onto his side to get out of bed and felt a sharp pain run through his spine, he knew his lover was right.

"If I would've known I would have gotten this good of a back workout, I would've fought with you sooner," Justin responded, equally as husky, quickly turning to peck a quick kiss on Josh's lips before getting out of bed with a groan. Josh chuckled as he himself got out of the large bed, pulling on his black jeans that laid haphazardly on the floor. Justin followed suite, reaching down to pick up his own blue jeans, only to feel JC's hot breath on his ear when he stood up.

"Trust me, baby. You don't need to fight with me to get that kind of action. All you need to do is say please," He whispered, smacking Justin's ass before leaving the room and entering the bathroom. Justin felt his breath get caught in his throat, and felt his package start to twitch. Damn, it was going to be a long night.

\---

"Jamie Lynn, say hi to Justin!" Britney exclaimed as she happily pushed her younger sister towards her friend. Justin smiled sweetly, kneeling down so he was at her level.

"Hi there Jamie Lynn," He said, his southern accent slightly showing. In response, the younger Spears sibling blushed.

"Hi Justin," She softly replied. She then saw a man standing behind Justin, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Who's that?" She asked. Justin followed her gaze and turned to Josh, winking before turning back to the child.

"That's JC. He's a very good friend of mine. Can you say hi to him?" Justin encouraged, waving his hand to Josh, as if to model it to Jamie Lynn. The youngest Spears followed suite, raising her hand and waving it happily. Josh watched on with a bright smile, admiring how good his boyfriend was with children.

"Hi JC!" She exclaimed, causing Josh to chuckle.

"Hi Jamie Lynn. It's very nice to meet you. Are you hungry?" JC asked softly, chuckling when Jamie Lynn vigorously nodded her head. Soon, Justin stood up, hissing when he felt the pain run through his spine once again. Britney immediately held back a giggle, having a feeling where Justin's pain originated.

"Justin?" Jamie Lynn asked, her voice innocent.

"Yeah?"

"Did you get a booboo on your back?" She questioned, her eyes filling with sympathy for the man.

"Yes he did. He got a big booboo," Josh jumped in, earning him an elbow in the stomach from Justin as he, Britney and Justin all held in their laughter.

"Let's just eat," Justin said through his chuckles, not missing the wink Josh gave him as they all turned and headed for the kitchen.


	26. Chapter 26

It was much later in the evening, and just as Justin suspected, Jamie Lynn was memorized by JC's impressive mansion, playing with almost everything she could. In that moment, Justin watched on with a smile as JC was on his knees near the TV, setting up his entertainment system so that the youngest Spears could watch one of the movies in JC's extravagant collection. Justin had never considered himself vulnerable to 'baby fever,' but watching how great Josh was with Britney's younger sister made him want nothing more than to have kids with the man. Justin was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a hand smack him upside the head.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, his hand raising to rub the spot he was hit, his head whipping to Britney, seeing her with her arms crossed.

"Have you been listening to a single thing I've been saying?" She questioned, already knowing the answer.

"No," Justin scoffed, almost as if it was a dumb question. How could she possibly think he could pay attention to anything other than JC Chasez?

"Why do I bother?" Britney teased, before figuring there was no point in repeating what she was saying. It wasn't all that important anyways. "He's really good with her, huh?"

"Yeah. Isn't it adorable?"

"God, you're so whipped," Britney joked, causing Justin to once again whip her head towards him. "I'm kidding. You know how happy I am for you," She defended, wrapping her arm around Justin's shoulder.

"Thanks, Brit," He smiled. Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Justin's eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't expecting anybody else.

"Who the hell is that?" The Memphis native questioned.

"That's maybe why you should've listened to what I was saying," She commented with a shrug, earning a glare from her friend. Justin made his way to the door, pulling it open.

"Um… hi," The Memphis native spoke, trying to conceal his surprise.

"Hey, J. Can I come in?" Chris Kirkpatrick asked, nervously standing at the doorway. Justin slowly held the door open, watching with confused eyes as his best friend made his way into Josh's house, standing in the large foyer.

"You planned this," Justin commented, turning his eyes to Britney. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Of course I did," The blonde replied, making her way over to them. "You guys love each other too much to keep fighting," She smiled, putting her hand on Justin's shoulder before returning to JC and Jamie Lynn.

"She's right, you know?" Justin spoke, eyes focused on the older man.

"I know she is. And you know I'm sorry, J," Chris said.

"I know. I just like hearing you say it," The younger responded, trying to hold in his smile when the elder approached him, wrapping him up in a warm embrace.

"I promise I'll back off and stop being a mother hen," GQ's recruiter announced, ruffling Justin's curls.

"As tempting as that is, I don't want you to back off. I overreacted too, Chris. You're my best friend. Of course I care about your opinion in my life," Justin sighed, admitting his own faults.

"Wait a minute… is the almighty Justin Timberlake admitting he was wrong?" The elder teased.

"Just accept my apology before I take it back, old man," Justin chuckled, wincing when he felt Chris slap his back, something his best friend didn't miss in the slightest.

"Oh, sore back, huh?"

"And that's where this conversation ends," Justin announced with a laugh and a wink, turning to join Josh, Britney and Jamie Lynn.

\---

"Come on, Ty. You don't really have to go tomorrow, do you?" Justin pouted as he adjusted his baby blue tie and perfectly fitted grey suit. He, Tyler, Josh and Joey were all planning to head out for drinks for a much needed night out before Tyler had to fly back to Los Angeles. The two had grown pretty close over the past couple of days, and Justin had almost gotten used to the other Chasez being in Josh's home.

"I wish I didn't, J. But I need to run the successful Chasez Banks firm," Tyler commented, the pride in his voice.

"Just a subdivision," Josh fired back nonchalantly as he walked into the room, fixing the collar of his wool jacket. "You look beautiful," He finished, walking over to Justin and pecking his lips.

"You keep thinking that, Joshua. You know, LA might be a much safer place to keep all of our time storage."

"Thanks for the suggestion. But as the president of the company, I think I'll decline the offer," JC commented, and quickly, Justin realized that this wasn't typical sibling banter.

"Guys," He lowly commented with a sigh, clearly seeing where the conversation was headed. As much as he loved Tyler staying with him and JC the past few days, he could definitely see the competitive fire in them both, and Justin couldn't help but think it went beyond business.

"That's on you. I can't wait to see how Mom and Dad decide to beg me to be the president once all the time gets stolen from the headquarters," Tyler rebutted, as if he didn't even hear Justin speak.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Josh responded, stepping closer to his brother.

"You know, I think I would, Mr. President," The younger confidently said, he too taking a step forward.

"Okay, that's enough!" Justin finally exclaimed, lodging himself in between the two. "This is Tyler's last night here. Can't we just not talk about business and enjoy our time?" The 23 year old pleaded, causing both Chasez brothers to sigh, knowing he was right.

"Sorry Tyler," Josh mumbled, the first to speak up.

"Sorry Josh," The other Chasez said, just as lowly.

"That's better," Justin nodded his approval at the siblings before wrapping an arm around Josh's waist. Just then, Joey walked into the room, stopping at the door and staring at the three as if they were insane.

"Am I interrupting something?" He questioned, and he met Justin's eyes, eyes that silently pleaded for the Italian not to pry the subject any further. To not undue the work he'd just done. "Maybe like a bunch of lame asses just standing around while we could be taking shots?!" He quickly recovered, not missing Justin's smile and the mouthed 'thank you.'

"Who you calling a lame ass?!" Tyler immediately responded, buying into the facade as he went up to Joey and slapped hands with him. JC chuckled, pressing his lips to Justin's ear.

"Nice save," He said, smiling when Justin pulled away, winking at him.

"Let's get fucked up tonight! Tyler's last night, bitches!"

\---

The night progressed without a hitch, as the four friends enjoyed just spending some time with one another, not having to worry about the situations plaguing their lives. Justin and Joey were tearing it up on the dance floor, as JC and Tyler watched from the bar, smiles on their faces. As Tyler turned to look at his older brother, he couldn't help but notice the look of admiration as he stared at his boyfriend.

"You love him a lot, don't you?" Tyler asked as he leaned towards Josh's ear, just loud enough for him to hear over the bumping music.

"More than anything," He replied with a nod, taking a sip of his vodka and coke.

"You think he's the one?" He dared to ask, only to have Josh wink at him and place his drink down before shimmying his way onto the dance floor and up to Justin.

"You think you got a dance saved up for me?" The 28 year old breathed seductively in his lover's ear.

"For you? Anytime," Justin responded loudly, turning around and allowing himself to grind up on Josh. JC moved his hips in sync with his, placing his hands on Justin's waist, guiding their movements. They didn't separate for the remainder of the song, and when it finally finished, Justin turned around, wrapping his arms around JC's neck. "You've got moves," He breathed, his glassy eyes meeting his boyfriend's.

"Please. I just followed your lead," Josh breathed back, causing Justin to chuckle before bringing his shiny blue eyes back to Josh's.

"I love you."

"I love you too," The 28 year old replied, leaning forwards and connecting his lips to Justin's. Their mouths moved in synchrony with one another, molding to make the perfect fit. Josh pulled away breathlessly, as the DJ announced that they were going to 'slow things down,' and a slower, much more romantic song began to blare through the packed club. Smiling, Josh placed his hands on Justin's hips, sighing happily when he felt the younger rest his head against his shoulder. They moved slowly, but beautifully, entering a comfortable silence. As Justin's eyes happily roamed the club, he couldn't help but notice two men sitting at a table, staring directly at him. The Memphis native didn't know why, but the men seemed oddly familiar, and not in a good way. He unconsciously tightened his grip around Josh's neck, causing the elder to pull away. "Woah, baby. Ease up a little," JC said, causing Justin to shake out of his deep thoughts, his hands immediately loosening.

"Shit, sorry, Josh," He quickly dismissed, somewhat avoiding eye contact with his boyfriend.

"What's wrong?" JC questioned, noticing the change in tone instantly.

"Nothing. Sorry."

"Justin," The Chasez Banks president simply said, strictly letting Justin know he didn't accept or approve of his answer. Justin shifted his hands so that they stood side to side, yet still kept their feet moving in a slow dance.

"You see those two guys sitting at the table, about 2 o'clock?" He questioned. Josh followed his gaze, and once he did, the two men quickly redirected their gaze.

"What about them?" He asked, not noticing anything strange.

"They were just staring at me, and not that subtly either. And I don't know - I get this… this feeling about them, Josh. I don't know if I've seen them before - I just - I don't know," He said, tightening his grip on JC's hand.

"You want to head home?" JC asked, and Justin smiled small, liking the fact that he referred to his place as home to Justin. Because even though most of his belongings were still at his own apartment, Josh's mansion was still home.

"I'd like that."

"Okay then. Should we tell dumb and dumber?"

"I think they'll be fine. Let them enjoy Ty's last night," Justin responded. JC smiled, lifting Justin's hand to his lips and kissing it before lowering them to their sides.

"Let's go," Josh said, leading Justin through the tightly packed crowd. Justin's grip unintentionally tightened when they passed the two men Justin was referring to, and quickly whipped around and pulling Josh with him when he felt one of them grab his elbow.

"What do you want?" Justin breathed out, attempting to look like he wasn't trembling. Josh stood protectively behind him, staring at the two with fiery eyes.

"Bass is here," The tall, long-haired of the two said, his tone strict.

"What?"

"Look. I don't have time to talk, but Lance Bass is here, and he's pissed," The unknown man repeated, and Justin felt Josh pulling on his hand.

"Come on, Justin," He encouraged, wanting to get his boyfriend away from the man as soon as possible. And not subtly pulling down the sleeve of Justin's jacket, hiding the glowing green text of his time.

"Timberlake!" Justin stopped walking and turned towards the man when he heard the man call after him. His heart stopped. How in the hell did this random man know his last name?

"What?" The Memphis native asked, his uneasy feeling rising.

"Just so you know, we've met before," He commented, confirming Justin's original thoughts. JC once again pulled on his hand, finally leading him outside of the club.

"I knew it! I fucking knew I've seen him before!" Justin exclaimed when the reached the street outside.

"Where in the hell would you have seen him before?" Josh asked calmly, his mind reeling with confusion.

"I have no idea, Josh," He sighed, frustrated at his lack of memory. It was then that he saw Lance Bass, standing at the end of the street, almost as if he was waiting for the couple. Justin felt his breath get caught in his throat, but just as quickly, felt the anger boil up. Before Josh could even realize it, Justin took off sprinting in the direction of Lance, fully intending to put him through every ounce of pain he went through.

"Justin!" JC screamed, running towards them himself. But he was too late. Justin reached Lance and pounced on him, knocking him down onto the pavement.

"You son of a bitch!" The 23 year old exclaimed, finally letting out all his anger by straddling him, punching the blonde anywhere he could. Lance attempted to fight back, his hands desperately scratching and clawing at Justin's face. And when he realized that wasn't going to work, he attempted to place his forearm on top of Justin's, draining his time. Justin, so caught up in the battle, didn't even notice the years, minutes and hours slipping from his life.

"Justin!" Josh's frantic voice was once again heard, as the eldest finally reached the two, leaning down and attempting to pull his boyfriend off of Lance. "Justin, that's enough! He's not worth it!" He yelled, attempting to get through to his lover.

"No, Josh! He needs to go through what I went through!" Justin yelled through his anger.

"Justin! You don't even realize he's taking all of your fucking time! That's enough!" Josh responded, linking his hands underneath Justin's armpits, attempting to forcefully pull him off. Lance, noticing that Justin was now fighting against Josh, took the opportunity to wind his fist up and throw the hardest punch he could at Justin's nose. He felt the bones crunch against his fingers and saw the thick chunks of red blood on his hand when he revoked his hand. Justin was in enough shock to let Josh finally pull him off of Lance, wrapping his arms tightly around his chest, restraining him.

"Such a fucking amateur," Lance said as he slowly stood up, his hands reaching up to touch his now busted lip.

"Lance, you better fucking leave before I let him go for round two," Josh warned, watching through hooded eyes as Lance slowly walked away from the couple, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Jesus fucking christ, Justin."


	27. Chapter 27

"Jesus Christ, Justin," Josh repeats in a shocked voice, his arms still tightly wrapped around Justin like a seatbelt, fearing that the younger might take off once again at any second. He feels his thigh shaking against his, his adrenaline still running wild. He hears him start to blow his nose quietly, no doubt trying to clear the blood from it. When he was sure the outside of the club was clear, he carefully released his hands, feeling Justin instantly scramble away to the wall. Josh sighed, pulling off his jacket and crawling to his boyfriend. "Here, babe," He attempted to offer the fabric to his boyfriend, only to have his hand swatted away.

"Don't touch me, don't touch it," He repeated, his breath in short increments. He blew his nose roughly, heavily sighing of relief when he felt like he could breath once again. The 23 year old then cleared his throat for good measure, and turned to his boyfriend. "Sorry, I'm good."

"Babe, that doesn't look good," Josh sighed, wanting to raise his hand and cup his face, but also wanting to give him space.

"I'm fine, Josh. Let's just go home," He responded, and JC felt somewhat on edge at the lack of emotion in his voice.

"Don't you think we should go get your nose checked out?" He questioned, uneasily.

"No, I think I should go home and forget this night ever happened and then I should get up tomorrow morning, come meet you to drop Tyler off, ignore every question about where we went and what happened and move on with our lives," He responded, pushing himself off the wall and to his feet. "Does that sound like a plan?" Josh sighed, picking up his jacket and standing up beside him. He wanted to protest, telling Justin he was pretty certain that pretending the night hadn't happened was the worst thing they could do. But instead, he just went along with it, nodding his head.

"Okay Justin," He whispered, the uneasy feeling returning at how eager Justin seemed to be going to his own apartment that night. As Josh thought about it, he was pretty sure this was the first night they'd spent together where Justin didn't go back to his place, and he was pretty sure it wasn't a good sign. He then noticed Justin starting to walk away from him, and placed a gentle hand on his elbow. "Wait, where are you going? Let me call Kevin," Josh said, facing the back of Justin's head. Sighing loudly, Justin turned around, his eyes full of regret and remorse.

"I love you, Joshua. But I just - I need to be alone for tonight. I'm sorry," The 23 year old whispered, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek, being careful not to hit his nose. He offered a small smile before turning and walking off into the distance, leaving Josh standing all alone outside the club.

\--

Justin shut the door to the taxi and mumbled his thanks as he got out with a sigh. He'd felt bad for leaving his boyfriend alone outside of the club, but he was too overwhelmed to pretend that he didn't need some of his own space. He lifted his forearm and stared at the glowing green numbers on his arm, shaking his head. 150 years, 7 months, 21 days and 24 seconds. He still hadn't gotten used to all the time he had, and after thinking about the events that had just transpired, he wondered if the time had changed him. He was never the type of person to use violence, no matter how upset he got, and the fact that he'd been so angry, so willing to use violence against Lance tonight bothered him. Even if it was just for one night, he needed to be by himself and remind himself of who he wanted to be. He made his way through the apartment complex lobby and into the elevator, running his hands down his face. He pulled his keys out of his front pocket and placed them in the door. As soon as the door opened, he felt one hand wrap around his waist and another around his mouth, pulling him into his apartment. He attempted to scream, mostly out of pain that a hand was pressed firmly against his noise, but his voice came out muffled.

"Relax! We're not going to hurt you!" One of the figures screamed, while the other closed the door. Justin, obviously still not convinced, continued to kick and fight against his attackers. Finally, the hands let him go, and he turned to face the two men he'd just seen at the club.

"What the fuck is going on?! Ow! My fucking nose!" Justin exclaimed, his breathing heavy as his hands flew to his face, attempting to see if his nose was bleeding. "Fuck," He muttered, seeing red drops on his fingers.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that… Just relax, okay? We need to talk in private," The other spoke lowly. Justin felt the uneasy feeling he'd had at the club return, and figured whatever the two needed to talk to him about was important.

"And this was the only way to do it?!" He exclaimed, before taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "Okay, fine. Sit," He sighed, running a hand through his disheveled curls as he made his way over to his couch and sat down.

"I - uhm - I'm Wade," The blonde of the two spoke gently.

"And I'm Darrell… and uh - like we told you at the club, we know you're Justin Timberlake," The other announced.

"Yeah, I got that. How do you know that? How do you know we've seen each other before?" The 23 year old questioned, unable to stop the comments from rolling off his tongue.

"Lance Bass - uhm - God, I don't even know how to say this. We're the ones Lance Bass paid to attack you," Wade said softly, his eyes fixated on the carpet.

"What?!" Justin exclaimed, instantly feeling his heart rate start to increase. He didn't remember seeing the faces of the men who attacked him, as they were wearing large black hoodies and it was pitch black out, but it made so much sense. "Why - I mean - what do you want? Why would you tell me that it was you?" He attempted to hide the fear in his voice by clearing his throat, but he doubt it worked.

"We felt horrible for what we'd done. Lance threatened us that if we ever told you it was us that he'd kill us but… we just couldn't go on with our lives knowing we'd ruined yours," Darrell said, and Justin could see the sincerity in their eyes.

"We're really sorry, Justin."

"I appreciate it," Justin whispered with a small smile. He knew how much courage it must've taken the two to come speak to him, but he also knew it was going to take him a little while to come to terms with the fact that he now knew who attacked him.

"We've debated about this for a while… but… we're willing to testify against Lance if you need it. That way he can't hurt any of us," Wade whispered, and Justin didn't miss the fear in his eyes.

"I might actually take you up on that… I've been thinking about taking him to court but there's no proof since the video from the club is gone. Maybe you guys could help my case."

"Oh yeah, we know the video's gone. Lance planned that. He went to the club a few nights later pretending to be a police officer investigating your case and deleted the footage. But we have proof he planned it. We have texts from him, receipts from the time he deposited into our accounts, everything. If we join forces, we can put this fucker in jail," Darrell said confidently.

"You've got a deal," Justin said, just as confidently. "Lance Bass, you're going down."

\--

"Do you have all your stuff?" JC asked Tyler at the airport the next morning.

"Yes, Josh. I have everything. Are you sure Justin's not coming?" Tyler questioned, looking around the airport for any signs of his brother's boyfriend. He knew that something had happened between the two last night, but JC's strict eyes and tone on the way there warned him not to ask anymore questions.

"I'm -" Josh started with a sigh, and if on cue, Justin could be seen running towards them, his hair a mess, his nose swollen and bruised and bags under his eyes.

"Ty!" The Memphis native exclaimed as he reached the two Chasezs' out of breath.

"You made it," Tyler instantly smiled, waiting until Justin finally caught his breath before pulling him into a hug.

"Of course I did. I told you I'd be here," He replied, turning to Joshua. Once he did, he said Justin's nose and gasped.

"Jesus Christ, Justin. That's quite the shiner," He commented, and once again received the death glare from his brother. "I mean, never mind. It doesn't look bad at all," He covered up. Justin chuckled, rolling his eyes before turning to his boyfriend.

"Hey babe," He said, leaning forward to press his lips against his. JC was taken somewhat aback, not expecting this Justin. And although he did look tired, he couldn't help but notice his boyfriend appeared to be in a much better mood.

"Hey, sweetheart. How's the nose?" Josh smiled small, cupping his cheek in his hand and inspecting the purple skin.

"Hurts like a bitch, but I don't think it's broken. Just needed a good icing," Justin responded, wrapping an arm around Josh's torso before looking straight into his eyes. "I'm really sorry about last night."

"Hey, you're okay and that's all that matters," The 28 year old smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple.

'Now boarding American Airlines Flight 671 to Los Angeles,' The airport announced, and all three men sighed.

"That's my cue," Tyler announced, first looking at his brother. "Thanks for letting me stay with you, Josh."

"Anytime, kid. Just give me a little more warning next time," He chuckled, pulling his younger brother into a hug. "Love you, bro."

"I love you too," Tyler smiled, letting Josh go before turning to Justin. "And my NBA pal," He chuckled. "Seriously, it was so nice to meet you Justin. I'm happy you're in Josh's life," He said, wrapping an arm around the 23 year old, trying to be careful with his nose. "You guys are coming to Baltimore for the holidays right?"

"Yes, Ty. We'll be there. Go before you miss your flight," JC chuckled, gently pushing his brother in the direction of his gate.

"Okay, okay. I'm going! Bye guys," He smiled with a wave, walking to his gate without turning back. Josh smiled, turning to Justin, who was still hooked under his arm.

"I missed you last night," He whispered, lowering his arm to take Justin's hand in his own as they left the airport.

"I missed you too. I didn't sleep at all," Justin replied, and although not being next to Josh wasn't the main reason he didn't sleep, his boyfriend didn't need to know that. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Josh he'd finally identified the people who'd attacked him.

"I can tell. You look shot."

"Why thank you, Joshua. You look beautiful too," Justin teased, causing Josh to chuckle.

"You know what I mean, smart ass," He laughed. They made their way outside the airport, and Josh reluctantly let his boyfriend's hand go. "So… you wanna go break in the fact that my brother is no longer staying with me?" The 28 year old seductively questioned, to which Justin smiled, equally as seductive.

"I thought you'd never ask."

\--

"Psst. Brit," Justin whispered when he saw the blonde walking past his office the next day. She continued walking, clearly not hearing him until he picked up a pen and threw it at the door. "Britney!" He exclaimed a little louder, finally causing the female to stop and turn to Justin, hands on her hips, a smirk on her face.

"Yes, Mr. Timberlake?" She questioned with a giggle, making her way into his office.

"Close the door for a second, I don't want anyone hearing about this," He said, his voice turning serious as she closed the glass door and made her way back to his desk, taking a seat.

"Okay… what's going on?" Britney asked, knowing that he wouldn't mind talking to her about their jobs if it wasn't private.

"I found the guys who attacked me."

"You did what?!" She exclaimed in a voice louder than she expected, instantly looking around to make sure no one had heard her. When she was sure, she turned back to Justin. "What do you mean? How did you find them?" She asked, the questions rolling off her tongue.

"Josh and I were at a club this weekend and they were there. They couldn't really talk because they said Lance was there so they showed up at my place and told me. We're working on a case against Lance," He explained, unable to stop the smile from coming to his face.

"Really? Oh Justin, that's great!" She smiled, finally feeling like her friend may get some of the justice he deserved. "JC must be so happy too."

"Oh, are you kidding me? He doesn't know about this and he sure isn't going to. I don't need him to be supervising everything we talk about and every move we make. You're the only one that knows, Britney. Please don't tell anyone," The Memphis native explained, raising his sky blue eyes to meet hers.

"Your secret's safe with me, Jus."


	28. Chapter 28

"Woah, where are you headed off to in such a hurry?" Josh asked with a chuckle as he watched Justin take a cookie from the counter and shove it in his mouth in a rush before grabbing his briefcase.

"Late night meeting," He replied quickly, his mouth still full of dough. JC looked at his lover suspiciously. He and Justin had been together for a little over 6 months now and he hadn't had any late night meetings before.

"With who?" The older asked, trying to get more information.

"With the editing team. We're behind on the next issue and the deadline is coming up," He smoothly said, hoping Josh bought it. In actuality, he was going to meet up with Darrell and Wade to plan their case against Lance and compile all the evidence they had, but Josh didn't need to know that.

"Oh," JC responded, pausing to think about it. Justin felt his breath catch in his throat, worried Josh wasn't going to believe his story. He then looked back up at Justin, "Okay. You need me to call Kevin?" He asked, and Justin silently released the breath he'd been holding.

"No, I'm going to drive there."

"So you need Lonnie," The 28 year old stated, referencing Justin's bodyguard.

"Josh, I'm getting out of a car, going into a packed boardroom with my coworkers and then I'm getting right back into my car. Give poor Lonnie the night off. He's been following my every move for months now," The younger said, rolling his eyes.

"That's what he gets paid for," JC mumbled.

"Joshua," Justin said, more sternly.

"Okay, okay," He chuckled, standing up and placing his hands on Justin's hips. "I'll chill. You're coming back here tonight, right?"

"Where else would I go? I can't leave my sexy boyfriend all alone for the night," Justin seductively whispered, leaning into Josh's touch. The elder moaned, his eyes instinctively closing.

"Mmm, don't start anything you can't finish, baby," He said, and Justin leaned his face in closer, waiting for Josh's eyes to open back him before he smiled.

"I love you."

"I love you too," JC replied with a bright smile, leaning forward to peck his lips. "Now go. We wouldn't want GQ to be waiting on their best editor," He smiled, and Justin felt a pang of guilt, just slightly.

"I'll be home as soon as I can."

\--

"Sorry I'm late guys," Justin breathed with a sigh as he made his way into Wade's apartment.

"No problem, Justin. Boyfriend holding you up?" Wade questioned with a laugh, handing him a cold beer, to which he waved off.

"You could say that," He chuckled, his eyes turning to focus on the beer. I'm driving, thanks though."

"Oh come on, Justin. It's just one beer. It's hardly enough to put you anywhere near the legal limit," Darrell encouraged.

"Okay, okay," The Memphis native rolled his eyes with a chuckle, taking the cold beverage in his hands and taking a seat on the couch. "So, where to we even begin?"

"Well, I think to be on the same page we have to know everything we all have against him. We need the full story to make sure all of our testimonies match up. My lawyer mentioned that if he got in contact with yours we could see about a plea for us," Wade explained, and Justin nodded.

"Josh has all the contact information but it shouldn't be too hard to get it off his secretary."

"Okay, great. We printed out all the text conversations and bank statements from the interactions we've had with Lance. He first texted me September 7th and asked if I wanted to make 15,000 hours and if I knew anyone else that would be interested. That's when I mentioned Darrell," The blonde, Wade explained, picking up the photo of the first conversation he'd had with Lance. Justin read it silently, confirming what Wade claimed was true. "So I gave him Darrell's information and he reached out to him."

"He texted me basically the same thing he did Wade and of course I was interested but I wanted to know what it was he wanted us to do. When I asked him all he said was that he needed something taken care of. I tried to push more out of him and he rephrased it to say that he needed someone taken care of," Darrell explained, referencing the photo that went along with that conversation.

"Me," Justin stated, as a matter of fact.

"Yeah. But he never mentioned your name over texts. He never left a trail that it was you he was ever talking about. I didn't know exactly what 'taking care of someone' meant so he asked us to meet him in person at this really nice restaurant. He paid for our dinners and basically promised us that as long as we did what he asked, no one would find out who we were. He planned Britney's gig with the bar and knew you'd go with her," He explained, and Justin's head whipped to Darnell.

"Wait… he planned that?" The Memphis native questioned.

"Oh yeah. None of what happened that night was a coincidence. He planned the date, the time, her opportunity, the black hoodies, everything from start to finish that night was all his ideas. His dad knew a lot of the stockholders at Chasez Banks. He planned that meeting too so that JC wouldn't be able to go with you. He knew if JC went, you'd never be alone and we wouldn't have a chance."

"Oh my God," Justin breathed, for the first time realizing just how sick and twisted Lance Bass was as he attempted to blink the tears away from his eyes. He'd planned where his friend was, where his boyfriend was. He wasn't just dealing with someone who wanted to kill him anymore… "Did he… I mean - this isn't part of the trial but did he say why he wanted you two to attack me?"

"Oh, that's going to be part of the trial for sure," Wade assured with a small, sad smile. "They're going to ask what his motive was. And his motive was to take all the time JC gave you and force him to go back to Lance. I don't think he wanted JC romantically, although he mentioned they dated. I think he more wanted control over JC. Especially after his parents were fired," He finished, and Justin nodded, understanding the answer.

"So the drugging… his idea too?"

"His idea. He even supplied the drugs. He told me to wait at the bar because he knew you'd have to wait there for Britney. He didn't know if you'd be drinking but he'd hoped you would be because that would make the effects of the drug a lot worse."

"I - wait - it could've been worse?" Justin asked, finding himself only able to ask questions at this point.

"What do you mean?" Wade asked, not really following.

"I didn't drink that night because I was driving and I don't really remember what it felt like being drugged obviously, but the way Britney makes it sound is horrible. She said I could barely stand up or talk or do anything. You're telling me if I drank alcohol it would've been worse?" The 23 year old questioned, and both Wade and Darrell sighed.

"He wanted you to be the most out of it possible so you couldn't fight back. So he told me to wait for you at the bar, drug your drink and then wait outside the club until you left so that no one could figure out it was me that drugged you. We waited for you to come outside with Britney and when she left you we just… we just attacked you. He wanted you scared but you were so out of it just one shot to your head knocked you out. I panicked. I thought I'd killed you and then I checked your time and saw it still ticking. Lance gave us very specific instructions to leave you with one hour. He didn't want us to kill you because he - he said he wanted to do that himself when the time was right," Wade continued, uncomfortable with the statement.

"Yeah, he told me that too," Justin reassured him.

"He did?"

"Oh yeah. Said he wanted to save the 'fun.'"

"God, what a delusional asshole. So then we saw Britney start to run back and we took off as fast as we could. Lance was waiting in a car around the corner and he sped off. He made us gave all the time we took from you and promised to deposit it to us the next day. Which he did," Darrell explained, referencing the photo with both Wade and Darrell's bank accounts, showing a 15,000 hour deposit. "He told us that he was going to make sure there was no evidence and all we had to do was keep our mouths shut. He said that if we told anyone, he'd kill us."

"I - I honestly had no idea he'd planned this in such depth…," Justin admitted, feeling chills run down his body. He finally understood what Josh meant when he kept referencing what Lance was capable of.

"He's sick, Justin. And as much as we're worried he's going to come for us, we know that either way, someone's going to die…. you know… god, I can't even say this," Wade spoke, running his hands through his blonde, spiky hair, clearly distressed.

"What?" Justin encouraged. "You know nothing you say is going to leave this circle."

"He - He's told us his plan to kill you," Wade admitted, causing Justin to instantly pale, feeling the bile rise in his throat.

"He - He did what?"

"He has it all planned out, Justin. He hasn't said a date or time or anything. But he has a plan, and that's why we needed to come to you."

"W - What's his plan?" The Memphis native asked, his voice shaky.

"I mean, he hasn't given us all the details. He's just mentioned that he wants to do it in front of JC, which is so fucked up, but he's told us he has everything mapped out," Darrell said, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"I… I don't even know how to react… Why the fuck does he hate me so much?" Justin questioned to no one in particular, his frustration showing.

"He'd never admit it, but he's jealous of you, Justin. You're everything he's ever wanted to be and more. You've got the guy, you've got friends, you're attractive, and JC sure as hell loves you more than he ever loved him. He thinks that by getting rid of you, he'll get his sense of power back."

"I've never met someone so delusional in my entire life," Justin sighed, running his hands down his face.

"Us either. And that's why that motherfucker needs to be locked away for a very, very long time."

"Well, I feel like we might have a shot with everything we have against him. I thought for sure it was going to be me against the three of you and the footage from the club was the only proof I had."

"We're here now and it looks like we have a case going," Wade announced, slowly starting to smile. "Next meeting we should go over everything and lay out a timeline and then I say let's get our lawyers involved."

"Sounds like a plan," Justin replied, standing up before shaking Wade and Darrell's hands. "I want you both to know how much you coming to me means to me. I know it's going to take me a little while to get used to the fact that now I have a full story of what happened and I know exactly who did it, but for the first time, I feel like I can finally stop letting the unknown of what happened control my life," He finished with a smile.

"We're sorry we didn't own up sooner. But thank you, Justin."

"Talk to you guys soon," He said softly, turning to make his way out of the apartment. He made it to his car and as soon as he got inside, couldn't help the tears from freely flowing down his face, the urge to vomit coming back. He'd held his composure well around Wade and Darrell and knew he would have to once again when he got back to Josh's place, but the entire story of what had happened, the fact that Lance had planned every minuscule detail made him sick to his stomach. It made him feel naive and stupid, and like he had no control in his life whatsoever. "God, Justin. Pull it together," He whispered to himself, reaching up and wiping his eyes with his coat before taking a deep breath. Although he knew the information was going to take him a long time to process and come to terms with and the sick feeling would be with him during that time, Justin did feel more confident that Lance may actually be held accountable for his actions. There was no way the jury could listen to the men who actually carried out the attack and not believe them. Lance Bass was going to jail. And with that thought, along with the fact that his extremely hot boyfriend was waiting all alone for him to come home, Justin checked his rear view mirror, wiped the final remnants of tears from his face, and set off on his drive to Josh's.


	29. Chapter 29

“Sh! Shut up, shut the fuck up!” Justin exclaimed through gritted teeth as the alarms in Josh’s house went wild as soon as he placed his key in the door and slowly turned the knob. He knew he was returning much later to Josh’s than he’d planned, and didn’t want to wake his boyfriend up. He fumbled to turn off the security system, placing his bag on the floor with a deep breath. As he slowly lifted his eyes, he clutched at his heart with a gasp, noticing Joshua standing in the middle of the living room, a silky bath robe on, hands on his hips and an amused look on his face.

“You think you’re a whole lot quieter than you actually are,” The elder commented with a smile, to which Justin shyly smiled.

“Sorry. Did I wake you up?” He questioned, a shy look on his face, to which Josh smirked. 

“Please. When I know my fine ass boyfriend is out there alone?” JC teased.

“Funny,” Justin returned the favour, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s lips before taking off his jacket and hanging it up.

“You hungry?” Josh asked as Justin made his way to the kitchen.

“Starving. You’d think these people would feed me,” The younger scoffed, as JC pretended to gasp.

“The nerve. Did they not know GQ’s best editor was coming to the meeting?” He teased.

“That’s what I’m sayin’,” Justin shrugged, feeling a pang of guilt remembering that Josh thought he was at a meeting with his coworkers. Josh chuckled, shaking his head.

“Sit. Chef put aside a plate for you,” He said, grabbing the plate of chicken parmesan and placing it in front of Justin, taking a seat at the table across from him.

“Oh thank god,” Justin huffed, wasting no time before digging into the meal. JC laughed once again, before turning serious. 

“So… how was the meeting?” He questioned, his eyes staring at his boyfriend with concern. Justin swallowed his food and cleared his throat, but his eyes didn’t raise to meet the older’s. 

“You know. We’re still - we’re still pretty behind,” He decided on answering, and JC frowned. 

“Is there anything I can help with?” He asked, his voice full of concern. It was then that Justin finally looked up and met his lover’s eyes.

“I wish,” He whispered, even though they were talking about two completely different topics. Justin knew deep down that he wanted Josh’s help with planning a case against Lance, but he knew that it was too dangerous to let him know that he’d discovered who attacked him. Somehow, he was aware that if JC knew that there was a case being planned, so was Lance. And that was the last thing Justin wanted. So, as much as it hurt, Justin swore that he wouldn’t tell his boyfriend about the actual reasons for his meetings. Josh’s eyebrows scrunched, instantly becoming confused. Justin had never been afraid to ask for his opinion on issues in the past, and was always eager to hear what he had to say.

“What do you mean? You know I’m always willing to do what I can.”

“I know,” Justin said with a small smile. “Thank you. It’s just - this is a different kind of issue and we’re all just trying to figure out how to go about it,” He finished, his shoulders slumping before shoving the final bite of chicken into his mouth. He then stood up, going to place his plate into the sink and running his hands over his face. JC soon got up as well, going to Justin and placing a hand on his waist.

“Hey. You’ll figure it out. You always do,” The 28 year old encouraged, trying to ease his boyfriend’s worries.

“I love you,” He softly said, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss on Josh’s lips. When he pulled away, he leaned his head on JC’s shoulders, closing his eyes and finally feeling comfortable enough to relax.

“I love you too, baby,” Josh responded, placing a kiss to Justin’s temple. “Now let’s go to bed,” He said, waiting for Justin to start to walk before lightly slapping his ass. The 23 year old turned back, an amused look on his face. “I told you I’d be waiting for you to come home.”

—————

“Mornin’ Chris,” Josh smiled as he walked through the GQ offices a few days later. Ever since the night of Justin’s late night meeting, Josh had begun to notice his lover seemingly getting increasingly stressed and drained, and the elder finally decided to put his foot down and see for himself why the group of extremely talented editors couldn’t seem to figure out a way to tackle a late issue. Justin’s comment about how he wished Josh could help him still bothered him, and he figured the least he could do was offer his moral support. So, he’d cancelled all of his Chasez Banks meetings that morning, heading to GQ’s offices to talk to the editing group. 

“Oh, hey C,” Chris smiled, somewhat shocked to see Justin’s boyfriend in their offices. “Justin’s barely been in his office the past couple days,” He added, knowing that seeing Justin was likely Josh’s main objective in coming to the headquarters. 

“I know. He’s been stressed as hell at home too. Do you know why they’re so behind on this issue?” He innocently asked, and Chris’ eyebrows scrunched, instantly becoming confused.

“Huh? Justin’s never been late on an issue in his career,” The elder replied, as a matter of factly. Justin was extremely aware of his deadlines and always submitted his work well in advance. Being late to anything work related was simply not in the 23 year old’s nature .

“That - that can’t be right. All he’s been talking about for the past week is how the editing team is behind on an issue and that’s why he’s been having so many meetings…” The Chasez Banks CEO replied, the confusion in his voice increasing. How could Chris not know about a delayed issue? 

“The editing team is all here. Justin’s the only one who’s been in and out of the office lately,” Chris replied, pointing down the hall to the ‘editing’ corridor. As Josh shifted his eyes, he saw all of the offices occupied. All except Justin’s. It was then that he started to doubt his lover. 

“Why would he lie to me?” He questioned, more to himself than anyone else. 

“Something’s up,” The elder replied, as his eyes shifted to a certain office before turning back to Josh. “Come with me,” He said, standing up and walking towards the office, knocking on the door. 

“Come in!” The voice responded. Chris opened the door and walked into the office, wasting no time.

“What’s Justin up to?” He asked strictly.

“What makes yo -,” The figure responded, turning around in her chair and making direct eye contact with Joshua Chasez. “Oh! JC! What a nice surprise,” She was shocked to see him, and even more shocked that he was here with Chris, asking about Justin. She thought the two had been more secretive than that.

“Cut the small talk, Britney. Justin. Where does he keep sneaking off to?”

“What makes you think I know if you don’t?” The blonde retorted, trying to buy some more time to come up with an excuse. Chris scoffed.

“Please spare me. The two seconds he is here all I see him doing is talking to you. What’s he talking about? The weather?” The eldest of the three responded, not buying any of the female’s story. 

“Look Chris. I don’t know any more than you do, okay?” She lied straight through her teeth.

“Brit, come on. He’s been telling me the editing department is behind on an issue and he keeps sneaking out to go to meetings. You know how much of a perfectionist he is. He’d never be late to submit his work. Are you sure you have no idea why he’s been lying to me?” JC questioned, his voice soft, his eyes pleading. Britney cleared her throat, feeling guilty as she saw the concern in JC’s eyes. She wanted to tell him where Justin actually was, but she’d promised her friend she wouldn’t say anything, and she was a woman of her word.

“I’m sorry, Josh. He hasn’t told me anything,” Britney regretfully said, her eyes focusing on her desk, not able to look the man in the eyes. Josh sighed, feeling uneasy. He found it extremely hard to believe that Justin’s closest friends had no idea why he kept leaving work for unexplained reasons. But he knew how loyal they were. If they promised Justin they wouldn’t say anything, no amount of pressuring or hounding would get him the answer. He knew the only way he’d get the truth was through Justin.

“Well then. I guess the only person who knows what’s going on is Justin. Just - just tell him I stopped by I guess,” Josh said, somewhat disappointed in the two for not being completely honest with him.

“Sure JC,” Chris nodded, watching as the elder man left the offices, before turning his gaze back to Britney. “I’m onto you,” He said seriously, letting her know that he didn’t believe her explanation either. He looked at the blonde one last time before turning around and slowly returning to his desk, determined to find out what Justin was hiding.

———------------------------------

It was now hours later and minutes after Britney saw Justin return into his office, setting his bag on his desk. Slowly and subtly, she looked to make sure the hallway was clear and Chris was not paying attention, before sliding out of her office and straight into Justin’s. She knew he’d just returned from another meeting with Wade and Darrell, and wanted to warn him that his secret was out. 

“We’re in trouble,” She simply said, hearing her friend gasp.

“Jesus christ!” Justin exclaimed, gripping at his heart before realizing it was Britney standing before him. “I do have a door for a reason,” He said once he regained his breath. 

“Chris can’t know I’m in here,” She replied, taking a seat in front of Justin’s desk.

“Why not?” The 23 year old questioned, sitting down in his own chair.

“He’s onto us.”

“What do you mean?” Justin asked, confused. 

“JC came by here this morning,” She said, and Justin’s blue eyes widened, the fear in them.

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. He talked to Chris and long story short, he knows there’s no delayed issue.”

“Oh no,” The Memphis native repeated, not knowing what else to say.

“Oh yes,” Britney repeated.

“Fuck!” He exclaimed. “God, what am I supposed to do?” He questioned, running his hands through his curly hair.

“Maybe it’s time to tell him the truth,” She suggested, and Justin looked horrified.

“I can’t do that. Lance knows everything JC does. He’ll find out we’re planning a case against him instantly.”

“I get it, Justin. But how else do you plan to cover this up? JC’s not going to believe another one of your lies,” She sadly said, understanding the risks. The two sat in silence for a few moments, trying to brainstorm ideas of what to tell Justin’s boyfriend, before a loud knock on the door was heard, and Chris entered. 

“Well, isn’t this nice. Shouldn’t you be working on your issue that’s so far behind?” He asked, his voice laced with attitude. Justin sighed, realizing that in order for Chris to keep his secret, he needed to know it. 

“Look, Chri -“ He started, but was soon cut off.

“I’m not buying it! Any of it! I don’t ask you where you go during work hours because I don’t know your schedule and that’s your business, not mine. But when your boyfriend comes in here looking for you, worried because you’ve been so stressed and tells me that you’re behind on an issue and you keep sneaking off to editing meetings. Meetings that I know do not exist. That’s when I step in. So spill,” Chris stated in a strict tone, wanting to know the reason for Justin’s lies. Justin sighed, knowing he now had to tell Chris the truth behind his ‘meetings.’

“Okay, okay. Sit,” He said, and Chris did what he was told. The Memphis native took a deep breath, and began to tell his best friend about everything. The night at the club, the meetings with his attackers, the evidence that was coming to light. Everything. And Chris sat, listening intently, his mouth hanging open in shock.

“You - you’re meeting up with your attackers?” He asked slowly, trying to grasp everything that was going on.

“Yeah. They’re helping me create a case against Lance before I try to take him to court.”

“And you’re not telling JC because…”

“I’m not telling JC because for one thing, if JC knows something, Lance knows something. And two, do you really think he’d be okay with me going to meet up with people who attacked me?” Justin defended. And as much as Chris hated to admit it, he knew Justin had a point. JC become so overprotective of Justin at times, he likely wouldn't let Justin meet up with his attackers, even if it would benefit them as a couple, and as individuals. 

“No… how are you okay meeting up with them?” The elder asked, wondering how Justin could manage to come face to face with people who’d tried to kill him.

“Because it’s the only way Lance is going to get caught. The footage from my attack is gone, so without them, I have no proof that he had anything to do with my attack. They’re my only hope,” The Memphis native said, and Chris could point out the desperation in his voice. He knew Justin was tired of always having to watch his back.

“I get it, J. But how do you know they’re not just working for Lance again?” He asked, his protective said showing through. Justin smiled, knowing his friend wasn’t trying to be a downer, but rather cautious and protective.

“Lance threatened to kill them if they told me. He’s threatened to kill me. So they don’t have any less to lose than I do. The - the whole reason they came to me was that Lance is - Lance is planning how to kill me.”

“He’s doing what?!” Chris exclaimed, unable to hold back his shock.

“He’s planning it all out. The guys, Wade and Darell, they say he has everything planned out and that’s why they needed to tell me,” Justin told him, and Chris was shocked at how calm he was being. “So we joined together. Either way, someone was going to die and we’re just not going to let him get away with it,” He finished, and Chris looked up, hearing something he hadn’t often heard in Justin’s voice lately. He heard confidence. 

“He’s not going to get away with it. Not if we have anything to say about it,” The eldest of the three announced with a bright smile. Justin returned the gesture, and even if it was just for a moment, felt relaxed and safe. That was, until he had to face his boyfriend tonight. A boyfriend that now knew he was living a lie.


	30. Chapter 30

Later that night, Justin nervously stood outside of Josh’s mansion, two bags of take out in his hand, almost as if they were peace offerings. He knew that as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t avoid his boyfriend, and although Josh finding out was the last thing he wanted, he respected him too much to make up another lie. He was an adult, and so was Josh. They could have an adult conversation. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to the door, sucking up his pride and knocking on it. It felt like hours before the door slowly swung open and JC appeared, obviously trying to hide the smile coming to his face.

“Hi Justin,” He said, his hand on the doorframe. Justin inhaled, having a difficult time reading the emotion on his boyfriend’s face. The smile didn’t seem to be anything other than a genuine smile, but Justin was terrified of misreading the situation and approaching it wrong. He knew he’d already messed up.

“H - Hi. Can I come in? I brought food,” He added, lifting the bags into Josh’s line of vision. JC chuckled at how shy his usually confident-stricken boyfriend was acting. Yet, it didn’t make him any less upset that he was hiding something from him.

“Chinese. Nice,” He slowly smiled, moving out of the way and allowing Justin into the house he’d come to know, and secretly love. Justin stood in the living room holding the bags, seemingly forgetting how to act in his boyfriend’s home as Josh made his way to the kitchen to grab plates, glasses and a bottle of wine. When he returned, he looked at the younger, his eyebrows furrowing. “Would you stop acting like you don’t practically live here?” He questioned, starting to get less amused, and more annoyed.

“Sorry, yeah,” The 23 year old muttered, taking a seat on the couch and taking out the bags of food, placing them on the table. JC silently watched him, and could see the tension in his neck and shoulders building up. Whatever it was he was hiding from him, he knew it wasn’t good. He slowly ripped his eyes away to open the bottle of wine and poured two glasses, taking a calm sip. Josh took the plate when Justin handed it to him with a small smile, and waited for Justin to pick up a spoonful of rice before placing a hand on his arm.

“We need to talk about this,” He blurted out. Justin sighed, placing his spoon down and clearing his throat, almost as if he was preparing himself for battle. 

“I know,” He lowly replied.

“Justin, I don’t like that you’ve been lying to me,” The 28 year old said, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Josh -“ Justin started.

“What comes out of your mouth next better be the truth and not another excuse,” The elder said, forcing Justin’s mouth to snap shut. “I don’t know why you have this impression that I think you’re not a grown, 23 year old man. If you have some of your own business to take care of, just tell me that. Don’t make up some lie and make me look like a fool,” He said, trying to contain his temper. Justin slowly nodded, completely understanding where his boyfriend was coming from.

“I know. I’m sorry. It was stupid of me, and trust me. I hated every second of lying to you,” Justin replied, hoping that would be the end of the conversation. “I won’t lie to you ever again,” He added.

“I hope not. So.. that’s it? You don’t want to tell me where you were actually going?” He pried, causing Justin to slowly exhale with a groan. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

“You really want to know?” The Memphis native asked, almost as a warning.

“Obviously, Justin. If you’re sneaking around so much it must be important. How do I know you’re not sneaking around with someone else? He questioned, and Justin squinted.

“You don’t even believe that yourself, do you?” He asked, his stare not wavering.

“Of course not. I know you’d never cheat,” Josh replied almost instantly, to which Justin sighed. 

“You’re not gonna let it go until I tell you. Are you?” He said, more of a statement than a question.

“You know me too well,” He smiled, proud of himself. Justin sighed, placing his plate down. He knew he would likely not be able to eat after their conversation. He didn’t know how Josh was going to take it, but somehow, he knew his appetite would be gone regardless.

“Fine, fine, okay,” Justin breathed, sighing before putting his head into his hands. “Fuck,” He moaned, not even knowing where to begin with the story. He didn’t know which part would make Josh angrier, the fact that Wade and Darell had followed him home that night from the club, or the fact that they were all secretly conspiring against Lance. He tried to map out his game plan, and soon, raised his head and turned to Josh. “So… do you remember those two guys we saw at the club the night before Tyler left?”

“The ones you were sure you’d seen before.”

“Yeah, them. So I went home and they were standing outside of my door,” He said, and could already see the anger growing on Josh’s face.

“They were outside your apartment?” The elder slowly questioned, almost unsure if he was hearing Justin correctly.

“Yes, but don’t worry, they didn’t touch me,” He quickly added, even though it wasn’t the truth.

“Doesn’t make me feel much better,” JC replied, slightly gritting his teeth. Justin noticed, and once again sighed heavily.

“See! You’re already getting mad!” He pointed out, only picturing his boyfriend’s next reaction. However, the elder looked confused.

“What do you mean ‘already?’ You mean that, that isn’t what you wanted to tell me? Because I’m already pretty pissed that this is the first I’m hearing about you being followed home by two strangers.”

“Okay, it’s going to get more complicated and you’re going to get more angry and then we’ll just be here all day so just stay quiet until the end, alright?”

“Okay, fine,” JC responded, his tone snappy.

“Okay. So I let them into my place and they told me that they wanted to come see me because they’re who Lance hired to attack me,” He slowly said, watching as JC’s eyes widened, and his jaw clenched in anger. When he noticed Josh starting to open his mouth to say something, he quickly continued. “We’re planning a case against Lance. That’s where I’ve been going,” He spat out, and JC groaned, his breathing heavy. Yet, he stayed silent and to Justin, that was almost scarier. “Josh? Can you - can you please say something?” Justin nervously asked, seeing his boyfriend’s eyes forced shut. Slowly, they opened, and the 28 year old took a deep breath.

“Justin… how could you be so stupid?” He slowly asked, trying his best not to scream at his partner. Justin looked shamefully at Josh, figuring his best move was to not say anything. Soon, JC shook his head and stood up, starting to walk up the stairs. Justin, confused and hurt, immediately sprung up, following his lover.

“Josh! Josh, let’s just talk about this!” The Memphis native pleaded.

“What do you want to talk about? The fact that you just completely ruined your chances of ever bringing Lance to trial?!” JC exclaimed, whipping around to turn and face Justin.

“What the hell are you talking about? The whole reason I was meeting up with Darrell and Wade was to bring Lance to trial!” Justin fired back, figuring Josh wasn’t completely understanding the situation.

“Which again, is why I say you’ve ruined your chances!” He yelled back, his temper flaring. “Darrell and Wade would have been witnesses in your case! You can’t speak to witnesses before the trial without a lawyer! Now if you go to court they won’t call them to the stand! God, Justin! How much of a moron can you be?!” He finished, and Justin’s tense face softened, as he realized his mistake, and was hurt at his boyfriend’s insult.

“How was I supposed to know that?” He quietly questioned, now almost on the verge of tears.

“That is why you should have talked to me! I would have got lawyers involved, set up court approved meetings, everything!”

“Exactly! You would have wanted to control every single aspect of this process just like you do with everything else!” Justin yelled back, his own anger starting to flare up once again. Josh cleared his throat, raising his eyes to meet Justin’s.

“I think you should go,” He slowly, but calmly said. He was extremely upset and Justin’s apparent lack of insight and responsibility, and wanted to stop the fight before it escalated any further.

“Fine. Fine, I’ll go. But just think about the reason I didn’t want to tell you,” Justin shrugged, his hurt blue eyes gazing into his boyfriend’s before he turned on his heel and left the room. Josh stood silently in the same position, not making a noise until he heard the front door slam shut. 

“Fuck.”

—————————————-

“You can’t be that hard on him,” Joey said the next day as he sat with JC at lunch. He understood where his best friend was coming from, but he also knew Justin. Justin didn’t just hide things from Josh for no reason, and he certainly rarely did things without pure, honest intentions. 

“I sure can. Do you realize how fucked he is now?” Josh questioned, frustrated Joey wasn’t instantly on his side.

“And how do you think he feels knowing that? Come on, Jayce. Cut the kid some slack. Justin doesn’t exactly have a law background, much less any experience with the law,” He tried to defend.

“No, he doesn’t. But I do. I could have helped him with this! If he just wasn’t too proud to tell me,” He scoffed, taking a sip of his iced latte.

“Seriously, Chasez. You think he didn’t tell you because he was ‘too proud’?” Joey questioned with a chuckle. Josh’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and then he rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on. Not you too. Justin claimed he didn’t tell me because I would have controlled the entire situation.”

“Again, smart kid.”

“You don’t believe that load of crap, do you?” The elder fired back, getting defensive. 

“You’re a control freak and you know it. If you’re not in control of every little thing, you’re not happy. You would have planned the meeting, when it was, how to give the evidence, everything. Don’t blame Justin for trying to do something for himself. Did you ever stop and think that he thinks he relies on you too much?” The New York native questioned, and suddenly, JC stopped. He hadn’t thought about the situation from that perspective.

“He doesn’t,” Josh replied, in a matter of fact tone.

“Objectively he doesn’t. But what about how he feels? He’s told you before that ever since this Lance attack he’s felt like he’s had no control over his life, right?” He asked, seeing Josh’s eyes lower, almost in guilt as he started to come to the realization that Joey was right.

“Yes.”

“Okay. So him planning this case, getting all the evidence ready with those two spineless idiots. That’s him taking control of his life back, is it not?” Joey added, and Joshua sighed.

“Yes, Joey.”

“And him not telling you. That’s some level of control too.”

“Okay, Joseph. I get the point,” Joshua snappily responded. “I was too hard on him.”

“So don’t be. Go tell him you’ll support him in whatever he does. He’ll come to you if he needs help,” Joey offered with a smile. “Justin’s a smart kid, JC. He just needs to know you think so too.”

“Thanks, man,” JC smiled, appreciative of his friend’s advice.

“Hey. I’m always down to give the almighty JC Chasez a reality check,” He teased with a chuckle, to which JC playfully rolled his eyes.

“Shut up.”

—————————————————

“Shit,” Justin muttered from his desk, getting up and rushing to grab his briefcase. He’d just gotten a text from Wade saying he, Darrell and Justin needed to have an emergency meeting that couldn’t wait. Justin didn’t like the sound of the message, and knew he needed to get to Wade’s apartment immediately.

“Woah, where are you going in such a hurry?” Britney questioned as she saw her friend racing down the hall.

“Just got a text from Wade. Need to go to an emergency meeting,” He quickly replied, almost at the elevator.

“Oh - okay. Do you need someone to go with you?” She asked, somewhat confused about what was so important that the meeting couldn’t wait.

“Don’t have time, gotta go,” Justin breathed out, immediately rushing into the elevator when the metal doors opened. He raced into his car and to Wade’s apartment complex, impatiently waiting for the next elevator as his mind flooded with worries. What could possibly be so urgent? Did they want to cancel the deal? Were they about to turn on him? Soon, he raced to the apartment door and knocked frantically on it, his breath catching in his throat when the door swung open to reveal, none other than Lance Bass, a bright smirk on his face.

“I thought you’d never show up.”


	31. Chapter 31

“Lance?! What in the hell is going on?!” Justin exclaimed, starting to realize that this was all a big set up. There was no way Darrell or Wade would have texted him if Lance was there. He instantly aimed to pull his dress shirt over his time clock, but quickly felt a hand on his arm, stopping his movements. 

“Shut up and get in,” The blonde scoffed, grabbing Justin’s arm and jerking him into the room. The living room was eerily dark and empty, and Justin attempted to look around for Darrell and Wade, but was unsuccessful. 

“What the fuck is happening?” He lowly questioned, his voice almost resembling a whisper and when Lance sadistically chuckled, he was unsure he even wanted to know the answer.

—————-------------------------------------------------------

“Miss, can I help you?” JC’s secretary asked when she noticed the blonde female step off the elevator, his eyes darting around the area, seemingly in a hurry.

“Yeah, where’s JC Chasez?” The girl questioned, a look a panic on her face.

“Um, Mr. Chasez is in a meeting right now. Can I ask your name and I’ll see if he’s available?” The Chasez Banks employee questioned. Typically, she would have just turned any guest away, but the blonde female looked to be in such distress, such urgency, that she was willing to hear her out.

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” She said, taking a minute to catch her breath. “My name’s Britney Spears. I work with Justin Timberlake, JC’s boyfriend,” Britney explained, and Stacey, JC’s receptionist, instantly looked up, the situation now catching her attention.

“Oh, okay. Let me go get him,” She announced, suddenly recognizing that the situation was more serious than she originally thought. Britney nodded with a slow smile, wondering how she was going to start the conversation with JC. Did he already know about Darrell and Wade? Did he too have a sinking, bad feeling in the pit of his stomach about the ‘emergency meeting?’ Soon, JC emerged from his office, readjusting his maroon silk tie as he approached Britney, a look of worry on his face.

“Brit? What’s going on?” He questioned, his mind reeling a mile a minute. All Stacey had told him was that someone by the name of Britney Spears was there to see him. That alone was enough to concern him, as Britney Spears was never there to see him.

“Um - god… fuck,” The blonde breathed out, not even knowing where to begin. Was she going to have to explain the whole situation to JC?

“Spit it out, Britney,” The elder urged.

“Do you know about Justin’s actual meetings?” She quickly questioned, the words flowing out of her mouth as quickly as possible, catching JC roll his eyes and frown in her peripheral.

“The ones where he’s sneaking around to meet up with the people who literally tried to kill him?” Joshua retorted, and Britney sighed, lowering her head.

“Yeah.. I’m guessing he told you.”

“He sure did,” The 28 year old sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t take it the greatest. I mean, sure, I -“

“Something’s wrong,” She spit out, interrupting him. The elder just stared at her, his mouth snapping shut.

“What?”

“Look, something’s wrong, okay? I just know it. Justin got a text at work from Darrell saying that they needed to have an emergency meeting at his apartment. I have a very hard time believing that there’s anything so important that it can’t wait… unless…,” She trailed off, her eyes lowering.

“Unless they’re turning on him…,” Josh said in realization, his own eyes widening in fear. “Tell me you know where Wade’s apartment is.”

“I wouldn’t have come get you if I didn’t,” She responded. JC nodded, placing a hand on her arm.

“Let’s go.”

—————------------------------------------------------------------

“Look, can you just tell me where the hell Darrell and Wade are and we’ll just get this over with?” Justin sighed as he rolled his eyes. He really did not have the time or patience to deal with Lance.

“Fine. Why don’t you go check the bedrooms?” Lance spoke, and Justin instantly got chills at the tone of voice he used. Slowly, feeling Lance’s hot breath behind his neck, he walked to the larger bedroom in the apartment, taking a deep breath. He opened the door, immediately feeling the bile rise to his throat. There, lying on the bed, was Darrell, unmoving in sheets that were soaked in a red substance. A red substance that looked a lot like blood. Justin felt lightheaded, instantly running over to the man and placing a hand on his chest, attempting to feel for any breathing. He let out a choked sob as he lifted Darrell’s freezing cold right forearm, seeing the time 00:23:00 frozen inn grey text. The sickening realization almost paralyzed him with shock, and he blankly turned to Lance.

“You killed him,” He said, his voice void of any emotion. As much as he wanted to, he had to internally tell himself not to turn back to look at Darrell or he would throw up or pass out. The image was already engrained in his mind.

“I did. Now, did you want to go to the other bedroom to search for Wade or are we getting the picture here?” The blonde smirked, and Justin pressed his eyes firmly shut, trying to calm his shaking breaths, as he unpackaged what Lance had just confessed to. He’d killed Wade too.

“Why the hell did you do this?” Was all he could muster up the courage to shakily say. 

“I warned them. I warned them that if they turned on me I’d kill them. Just like I warned you that I would kill you when the time is right. I’m a man of my word, Justin,” He spoke, approaching Justin, who backed up, soon having nowhere to go but pressed up against the wall.

“You… you don’t need to do this, Lance,” Justin pleaded, his voice low, shaky and small. In return, Lance just laughed, enjoying the power all too much.

“That’s funny. I do need to do this, and you know what? I want to. Now, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way. You can give me all your time and die painlessly, or I’ll take it from you. We can fight for it, and you’ll lose, and instead of going out with dignity, you’ll die a weak, powerless loser, just like you’ve always been,” He threatened. Justin, knowing he didn’t have much time, figured the only thing he could do was stall Lance. Eventually, Britney would get worried that he hadn’t contacted her and told her about the meeting, and he hoped she’d be smart to not come alone.

“What - what are you going to do when you get caught for this?” He lowly questioned, and Lance seemed surprised, the question somewhat catching him off guard.

“What makes you think I’m going to get caught for this?” The blonde responded, enjoying the Memphis native’s game a little too much. Torturing Justin, having him eagerly wait for his demise and plead for his life was almost more entertaining than actually killing him. Almost.

“Please,” Justin scoffed. “Look around. Your fingerprints are all over this place.”

“So, so naive,” Lance chuckled, inching closer to Justin once again, who panicked and turned his face, trying to buy himself some time. 

“You know!” He instantly exclaimed. “Josh will never forgive you for doing this. Even if the police can’t arrest you, Josh will know it’s you and he’ll never forgive you,” He heavily breathed, trying to remain calm by telling himself to keep stalling. Someone had to have been concerned about him.

“That’s cute. You actually thi -“ He started, and Justin figured he had to do something, anything to get the blonde distracted, so he raised his leg and kicked Lance in between the legs, causing the slightly older man to double over in pain. “You fucker!” He exclaimed. Justin panicked, his mind racing with ideas of what he should do. Should he run out of the apartment? Should he try and call the police? Or Josh? He raced out of the room Lance was in and into the other bedroom, his face turning pale when he saw Wade sprawled out onto the floor, blood pouring out of a dangerous wound to his chest. His mind went blank for a few seconds and he couldn’t turn his eyes away from the presumably dead body, before he quickly locked the door of the bedroom, deciding he couldn’t leave until Lance was caught. Somehow, he knew that if he left the apartment, Lance would find a way to turn the entire crime around on him. He noticed a wired phone sitting on the bedside table, and raced to it, deciding that calling Britney was his best option. She’d require the least amount of explaining, and if he got cut off, she’d know to call the police. He dialled her number as quickly as possible, his eyes darting around the room for any sign of Lance. The phone rang once, but soon went to Britney’s voicemail. Justin slightly panicked, but didn’t give up, and changed his plan, dialling JC’s number instead. When that too went to voicemail, Justin sighed heavily, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He debated calling 911, but groaned, as he thought of what would happen if Lance got away and found out Justin had attempted to incarcerate him. Feeling powerless, the Memphis native closed his eyes. He pressed them shut as tightly as he could, knowing that if he opened them, he’d be forced to look at Wade once again. In the short time he’d come to know Wade and Darrell, he cherished their relationship and shared prioritized value of seeking justice. Sure, the two men weren’t innocent, even in the slightest, but Justin respected them for putting themselves at risk in an effort to fight for the truth, and hated that Lance was a man of his word. Soon, Justin heard a faint knock on the front door of the apartment, causing his breath to get caught in his throat. He prayed with every ounce of his being that it was Britney or Josh, but he couldn’t risk leaving the secure room out of fear that the person who arrived at the apartment was on Lance’s payroll. 

“Where is he, Bass?” The muffled voice questioned, and even though Justin strained his ears, he couldn’t identify who was talking. He felt his heart somewhat drop, as he could at least distinguish that it was a male voice and ruled out the possibility that it was Britney. He tried to stay as still as possible, trying his best to understand the conversation that was being had behind the door. Soon, he heard the same male voice yell, “Go!” followed by a pain-filled scream and something heavy hitting the floor. Justin’s breath caught in his throat, wondering who had screamed, what had fell, and what ‘go’ meant. He didn’t have to wait long for his answer, as a light, but persistent knocking began on the bedroom door. Justin, frozen with fear, stood completely still. “Justin? Justin, it’s us,” He heard the voice say, and damn, it sounded familiar. Cautiously, the Memphis native placed a hand on top of his time clock to protect it and made his way closer to the door, attempting to better understand the voice coming from behind it.

“J, it’s Britney and JC,” He heard a now female voice say, and instantly, the relief flooded through Justin like an ocean as he ripped the door open. As soon as his grainy eyes focused on JC, he threw himself into his arms, holding on for dear life.

“Don’t look in there, don’t look in there,” He kept repeating into JC’s shoulder, his hands holding onto his torso as if the older man was going to disappear into thin air, his body shaking with fear. 

“Sh baby. It’s okay, you’re oakay. I’m here. I’ve got you,” Josh whispered, placing a soft kiss in Justin’s hair before peaking over his head and focusing his sights on a blonde man’s unmoving, bleeding, prone body, quickly recognizing that he was dead. He closed his eyes with a sigh, before turning to Britney. “Shit. Call 911. Report Lance to the police for murder and get the paramedics here for Justin. I want him checked out,” He said, not knowing the full story. He didn’t know if Justin had witnessed the man be killed, or had only seen him after he was dead. Either way, he knew that Justin hadn’t seen a dead body since his mother timed out, and the current events were sure to trigger some pent up, un-dealt with, trauma. As he heard Britney begin to speak with the emergency dispatch team, he gently ran his hands up and down his boyfriend’s back, in an attempt to calm him down and soothe him. Josh continued to search the scene, his eyes briefly drifting over to Lance to ensure he was still doubled over in pain from both the kick in between the legs that Britney had given him, and the punch in the face he had dispensed. Once he was sure Lance would not be getting up or escaping the apartment for some time, he turned his full and complete attention to Justin, who was still trembling with sobs. “You’re okay, sweetheart. I’m here,” He comforted. Slowly and shakily, the 23 year old pulled away from the embrace without a word, just in time to turn to the side and throw up all over Wade’s carpet. “Come on Jus, you’ll feel a little better if you sit down,” Josh announced as he reached over and wrapped an arm quickly around his boyfriend’s waist, pulling them both down to the floor. He watched as Justin leaned the back of his head against the wall, his eyes pressed tightly shut as the tears escaped them, his whole body still shaking. Carefully, he placed a supportive hand on his shaking knee. “Brit? Can I have an update please?” The 28 year old desperately questioned, somewhat knowing that Justin was entering a state of shock, his heart racing with worry as he didn’t know the best way to help calm his boyfriend down.

“Police and ambulance are on their way,” She announced, her eyes softening with sympathy when she looked at Justin. “What can I do?” 

“Fuck,” Josh sighed, running his free hand down his face, not even knowing what he could do. “I don’t know. I guess - I guess watch Lance to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere. The last thing we need is him getting out of here and pinning this whole thing on us,” He said, and Britney nodded in agreement. “Oh, and can you close the bedroom doors? But promise me you won’t look inside.”

“Um - okay,” The female confusingly responded, her eyes focusing solely on the carpet as she walked towards the two rooms, shutting the doors quickly without looking inside at all. She exhaled deeply, before sliding down the wall next to Justin and JC. She listened to JC softly coo into Justin’s ear that he was okay and that help was on the way. The trio sat on the floor, silent besides the sound of Justin’s occasional sobs. They waited, staying as still as they could and keeping a close eye on Lance until they heard several loud knocks on the door.

“Police. Open up,” The deep, assertive voice on the other side of the door called, and JC let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in, looking at Britney and silently asking her to open the door. He wasn’t letting go of Justin until he absolutely had to. The blonde smiled politely before nodding, walking to the door after quickly checking on Lance to ensure he was still groaning on the floor in pain. She exhaled deeply, before pulling the door open, mustering up as much of a smile as she possibly could.

“Jayce! They’re here!” She exclaimed, the relief flooding in her voice at the thought of finally being safe.

“We received a call about a murder,” The police announced, looking around the apartment suspiciously. JC, realizing he would have to stand up and talk to the police, sighed, placing a kiss on Justin’s temple before slowly releasing him from his arms.

“I’ll be right back, sweetheart,” He whispered, before turning to look at Britney. “Brit. Come sit with Justin please.”

“Sure,” She replied, sinking down to the floor and gathering her friend in her arms while JC approached the two cops and two paramedics standing at the door.

“Please, come in,” He invited, stepping aside and allowing the four individuals to enter the living room. “My boyfriend, Justin Timberlake,” He started, before pointing to Justin to identify him, “received a text from his acquaintance Wade’s phone saying that he needed to come to his apartment for an emergency meeting. When Justin got here, Lance Bass opened the door,” JC continued, pointing to the blonde haired male who was finally starting to rise to his feet. “And Wade and Justin’s other acquaintance Darrell were dead. Justin hid in the spare room to get away from Lance until we showed up. I kept asking where Justin was but Lance refused to move out of the way or give me any answers. I knew that Justin was here so Britney kicked him in between the legs so we could get in. That’s why Lance is down,” The 28 year old explained, while the taller of the two police officers took notes. They nodded thoughtfully, before turning to the paramedics. The two EMTs turned to Lance, noticing him regain his balance on his feet and dust himself off.

“If you don’t mind, we’d like to check on Justin.”

“Mr. Bass, please step over here,” The police requested.

“Please,” Josh thankfully nodded, following the two medical professionals over to where Justin sat, hunched over in Britney’s arms. The female noticed them crouch down next to them, and gently released Justin from her arms.

“Mr. Timberlake, we’re EMTs. Are you doing okay?” They asked softly, while JC comfortingly placed a hand on his knee.

“I - I’m okay,” The 23 year old managed to get out, trying his best to convince his mind that it was over. He was okay, and Lance was going to get caught. 

“Okay. Take some deep breaths for us, alright?” They instructed, waiting patiently for Justin’s shaky exhales. The colour seemed to return to his face, and the shaking and sobbing slowly subsided. “Good job. I believe you just entered a state of shock. Would you like to come down to the hospital for some medical attention or do you think you’re going to be alright?”

“No, I’ll be okay,” He more confidently stated, wiping his eyes and turning to Josh, who offered him a loving, but sympathetic smile.

“That’s good to hear,” The shorter of the two paramedics announced. “Mr. Timberlake, I know this is hard, but can you tell us where the two bodies are so we can see what we can do?” He softly asked. Justin nodded slowly, pointing to the two bedrooms where he had seen Darrell and Wade, doing everything he could to push the images of their dead bodies from his mind. “Thank you, son. I know that must not have been easy to see,” He sadly smiled, before turning to the police officers. “Is Mr. Bass ready to go down to the station?”

“He’s ready,” The officer responded.

“Okay. Now you three go with the police officers, alright? We’re going to stay here and call for back up.”

“Thank you,” Josh softly said, gently helping Justin off of the floor and wrapping an arm around his waist, leading him to the police. 

“Joshua?” He heard Justin’s low, soft voice ask.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Do you think this is finally over?” The Memphis native carefully asked, and when Josh turned to look at Lance and saw the look of pure defeat and anger on his face, he smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to Justin’s cheek.

“I think it’s finally over.”


	32. Chapter 32

“Now, Mr. Timberlake, we’re going to ask you a few questions about what happened tonight to get a clearer picture of the situation. Are you okay with that?” The detective sitting across the table from Justin and JC asked, looking at the two men thoughtfully. Justin looked down at Josh’s hand protectively holding his, his thumb running over his knuckles ever so gently, and softly smiled at his boyfriend before taking a deep breath.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” He replied, seeing Joshua smile proudly. 

“Great. So you, Darrell and Wade had been meeting up for several days prior to this incident, is that correct?”

“Yes. A couple months ago I was attacked outside of a club in New York by two people that I couldn’t recognize. I ended up in the hospital with a concussion for a couple days. Then, about 4 weeks ago, Joshua and I were at a club with our friends when I noticed two people staring at us. They looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where I’d seen them before. We went to leave and they stopped me, calling me by name and warning me that Lance Bass was at the club and that I had seen them before. They showed up to my apartment and told me that they were the two people Lance Bass had hired to attack me and they’d felt guilty about not coming clean. We decided to join forces and compile our evidence to ensure that Lance was caught and charged for what he did. We knew it was dangerous. Lance had threatened to kill them if they told anyone they were involved in my attack, and he’d also warned me that he wanted to kill me. So, either way, we knew someone was going to get hurt, but we didn’t just want to sit around and take it. We wanted to do something about it. We started compiling our evidence and figuring out a timeline. Earlier today, I got a text message at work from Wade saying we needed to have an emergency meeting, so I told Britney about it and left. When I got to Wade’s apartment, Lance opened the door and pulled me inside. When I asked where Wade and Darrell were, he laughed and told me to check the bedrooms…,” Justin explained, pausing to close his eyes as he thought about the next part of the story. The images of Wade and Darrell’s dead bodies flooded his brain and clouded his vision, making it almost impossible to continue speaking.

“It’s okay, baby, take your time,” JC softly encouraged, looking at his boyfriend with concerned eyes and gently running his thumb over his knuckled. Clearing his throat slightly, Justin opened his eyes once again, this time, the blue orbs filled with tears.

“I - I went into the bedroom and saw… I - uh, I saw Wade. H - He was on the bed, and bleeding with a hole in his chest… and his time clock was bruised so I - uh - I knew he was dead… Lance asked me if I wanted to know where Darrell was or if I was getting the picture, so I caught on that he was dead too. He started taunting me and telling me that now was the time he was going to kill me. I told him that even if the police couldn’t arrest him for killing Wade and Darrell, Josh would know that he killed me. He laughed and told me that I was naive and I just knew I needed to keep him distracted. I told Britney before I left where I was going so I knew she was probably getting worried and was coming to look for me. I kept trying to talk to him and finally I just knew I had to do something so I kicked him in between the legs and ran into the other room and uh - saw Darrell… on the floor so I locked the door and just waited in there… I prayed that Britney went and got Josh and they were on their way,” He said, smiling slightly. “When I heard a knock on the door, I thought it was Lance’s friends coming to finish me off but then I heard Josh’s voice and I just -,” Justin stopped, turning to look at his boyfriend. “I knew I was going to be okay,” He finished. Josh returned the small smile, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

“And Joshua, what happened when you arrived?” The officer continued.

“Lance opened the door and I told him I knew Justin was there. He tried to tell me he had no idea what I was talking about and I just - my frustration took over. Britney kicked him in between the legs and I punched him in the face. Once I knew he’d be down for a while, I saw the bedroom door closed and knew Justin was in there. So I told him it was okay to come out and just stayed with him while Britney called 911,” The 28 year old explained. The police officer nodded as he finished up his notes, then looked back up at the couple.

“I appreciate you two being so cooperative. As he’s our primary suspect, we’ll keep Mr. Bass here until further notice and need be, until trial. If a trial occurs, we will be in touch with you to ensure you both will be able to act as witnesses so it would be best if you could contact your lawyers now,” The officer said, standing up. “Until then, you are free to go,” He said, holding out his arm and shaking both Justin and Joshua’s hand.

“Thank you very much,” JC said, nodding at the law enforcement official with a smile, before taking Justin’s hand in his own and walking out of the interview room. He stopped, gently pulling on Justin’s hand to make eye contact with the younger man. “You okay?” He questioned, his voice full of concern.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” The 23 year old replied in a soft voice with a smile, and then a small chuckle. “It looks like after trying so hard to avoid a trial, we’re going to one anyways,” He said, pointing out the irony.

“I know… I’m really sorry,” Josh sighed, looking down. He hated that he didn’t protect his boyfriend from the situation that he had just gone through.

“Hey,” Justin said, reaching up and placing a finger under Josh’s chin, raising it so their eyes connected. “You know there’s nothing for you to be sorry for, right? I want this.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. You were right, Josh. If Lance isn’t in jail, he isn’t going to stop messing with us and our relationship. Going to trial is the only way to make sure we’re ever going to be happy,” He announced, coming to the realization that if he ever wanted to enjoy his life with Joshua, he needed Lance gone for a very, very long time. 

“I love you,” JC smiled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the hand that was still under his chin.

“I love you too. Now let’s go get Britney and get out of here.”

——————————————

“Why do I always miss the cool stuff?!” Chris exclaimed the next day at lunch, placing his piece of deep dish pizza on Justin’s desk and sitting down.

“Trust me, Chris. Nothing about yesterday was cool,” Britney seriously said, running a hand through her long, matted hair, and then down her pale face. As Chris looked at the looks on his exhausted friends’ pale faces, he began to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

“Damn, it was really bad, huh?” He asked, his voice lowering and his tone instantly switching to one of concern.

“It was bad,” Justin simply said, going to take a bite of his salad, but soon deciding against it and placing his fork down, loosing all of his appetite in an instant. “It’s like… I can’t get the images of Darrell and Wade out of my head… they didn’t deserve that,” He finished, closing his eyes tightly as the vivid images of Wade and Darrell’s bodies flashed through his mind. 

“Justin,” Britney softly spoke, placing a gentle hand on his arm to shake him out of his thoughts. His blue orbs, now a widened shade of grey, opened, and made eye contact with his friend. “Are you sure you should be here today? You should’ve taken the day off. You should talk to somebody,” She said, her voice full of worry. She couldn’t imagine how Justin felt, and knew that it was almost impossible that he was okay with what he saw, and what he’d been through.

“No. Thank you but, I’m okay. It’ll take a little bit to come to terms with it but, I’m okay,” The Memphis native proclaimed, more trying to convince himself than his friends. 

“Are you sure, J?” Chris asked, not really convinced with his answer.

“Guys, seriously. I’m fine,” Justin huffed, beginning to get frustrated. “Can we just talk about something else please?” He asked, his voice agitated, and his body tense. Chris and Britney exchanged quick worried glances with one another, but soon looked back at Justin and decided their best option was to drop the subject before Justin got angry.

“Okay Jus.”

————————

Justin sighed heavily as he threw his briefcase across the room and onto the sofa in Josh’s living room, reaching over and turning off the alarms that were wildly chiming as soon as he walked in.

“Shut up! I hear you!” He exclaimed, frustrated. He sighed, running his hand aggressively down his face and throwing himself into the velvet sofa with a grunt.

“Hey, I thought that was you yelling,” Josh said entering the room and walking over to the couch. “Scooch over,” He ordered, sitting next to his boyfriend when he did so and looking at his tired face thoughtfully. “Bad day?” He asked, and Justin sighed, taking Josh’s hand in his own and playing with his fingers.

“No… I mean - I guess. I just felt like everything was irritating me. Every time I tried to do some work, I kept seeing Wade and Darrell’s bodies.… Every time someone tried to talk to me, I wanted to scream at them that I was already having enough trouble focusing… I didn’t need them distracting me too,” The 23 year old huffed, leaning over and resting his head on Joshua’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, baby,” The elder of the two softly spoke, resting his head against Justin’s.

“Are the - are the images of them ever going to go away?” He asked, his voice sounding so small.

“It’ll take a while, but eventually,” Josh sighed, pulling away and taking Justin’s hands within his own. “Talking to someone can help. A professional,” He suggested, shocked when Justin quickly ripped his hands away in response.

“I don’t need to talk to a professional! I wish everyone would stop saying that! I’m not crazy!”

“Hey. Hey, sweetheart, calm down… No one said you were crazy. You’re not crazy, not in the slightest. But you’ve been through something traumatic, and talking about it and coming to terms with it can help you deal with it and help you get rid of the images quicker than if you just try to handle it on your own,” The Chasez Banks president softly tried to explain, placing a gentle hand on his boyfriend’s knee.

“I get it, Josh. I do. It’s just - I don’t think I’m ready for that yet… I guess - I don’t know. I guess I’m just not ready to accept the fact that it actually happened and I actually saw it.”

“And that’s okay. You don’t have to be ready right away. It might take a day to be ready, or it might take 5 months to be ready. Both are perfectly fine. You don’t have to rush. And until you are ready, I’m here for you… You can talk to me about it, or anything else for that matter, whenever you want,” Josh said, grateful when Justin smiled.

“Thank you,” The Memphis native softly said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.

“Of course, baby. I love you. And just so I can always be here for you, I got you something,” Josh smiled, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a shiny, silver key.

“A key,” Justin simply said, confused as to what the gift meant. Josh chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes at how clueless his boyfriend was.

“Yeah, Justin. It’s a key… a key to this house. I - I want you to move in with me,” He said. Justin’s eyes widened, taking the key into his own hands, before looking back up at Joshua.

“Really?” He questioned, wanting to make sure Josh was actually serious.

“Yeah. I mean - you’re here all the time anyways, it’s almost like you already live here,” He chuckled, and Justin nudged him, chuckling.

“Way to ruin a romantic moment,” He said through his laughs. “But yes, I’ll move in with you,” Justin repeated the words, the big, goofy smile adorning his face when he’d heard what he’d said. He was moving in with Joshua. Joshua, the man whom he loved so much and would do anything for, was ready to take their relationship to the next level and it made Justin extremely happy. “Thank you,” He said, turning to his boyfriend with a huge smile. “I needed this today.”

————-

“Wow, man… that’s rough,” Joey breathed as he took in the story JC had just finished telling him at lunch the next day. “I mean the fact that Lance is even in custody right now is a miracle, but at what cost? I mean - how’s Justin handling everything?” He questioned, and JC smiled at the concern in his voice, but then sighed.

“I don’t know. He won’t talk to anyone about it, and I don’t want to bring it up because I don’t know if he’s not talking about it because he’s not thinking about it, or because he’s thinking about it too much and me asking him about it would push him over the edge,” Josh explained, running a hand through his raven hair. 

“Has he thought of talking to someone - like a therapist?” The Italian suggested, and Josh scoffed.

“I suggested it, but he downright refuses. I just don’t want him to deal with all this on his own, you know?” He explained, lifting his glass to take a sip of his white wine.

“I know, Jayce. But like you said, you also don’t want to push him too far. Maybe when he’s around you he doesn’t think about it because he knows he’s safe,” Joey said, stopping when he got an idea, "Maybe you should take him on a vacation or something. Just the two of you. The poor kid needs a break and some time to take his mind off of everything,” He finished, and Josh placed his glass down thoughtfully.

“That’s a great idea, Joe. And I’ve got just the place,” Josh replied, a smile finally appearing on his face.

—————

“Hey Brit,” Josh greeted happily as he walked into the GQ offices later that week. He’d spent the majority of the past several days planning out his trip with Justin, and after finalizing the finishing details, was ready to surprise his boyfriend with it. He decided he was too excited to wait until Justin got home that night to tell him, so after picking up two turkey sandwiches from the GQ’s cafeteria and rescheduling all his meetings for the day, headed up to Justin’s floor, eagerly searching for the 23 year old.

“Oh, hey Jayce!” The blonde responded happily, surprised to see him in the office. “What brings you here?” She questioned with an amused look on her face, already knowing the answer.

“Where is he, Spears?” Joshua responded with a chuckle.

“In a meeting with the editing team,” She answered, turning to look at the clock. “They should be breaking for lunch in about 10 minutes if you wanted to wait in his office.”

“Thanks,” JC smiled, heading to Justin’s office and taking a seat in one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk. After what felt like hours, Justin finally entered his office, the smile instantly on the younger’s face when he recognized his boyfriend.

“Josh,” He said, happily throwing himself into JC’s arms when he stood up. “Not that I’m not happy you’re here but - what are you doing here?” Justin asked, placing his briefcase on the floor and sitting in his chair.

“Waiting for you to get out of your meeting. Damn, how long are those things?! I’ve been waiting forever!” JC complained, sitting back in his own seat with a huff. Justin chuckled at how dramatic his boyfriend was being, shaking his head playfully.

“That meeting was an hour long,” The 23 year old pointed out, taking the turkey sandwich and unwrapping it when Josh placed it on the table. “But really Josh, I know how busy you’ve been lately. You haven’t even had time to take your own lunch break, never mind come see me on mine.”

“Okay, okay. I cancelled all my meetings today to come have lunch with you because I have a surprise for you,” Josh said, barely able to contain his excitement. Justin froze just as he took a bite of his lunch and looked at Josh, his eyebrows raising in confusion.

“Well, you’re full of surprises, aren’t you? First asking me to move in with you, now this?” Justin teased.

“Very funny…,” The elder responded, making a playful face and chuckling before turning serious. “I know these last few days haven’t been easy for you, and I wanted to plan something that the two of us could do together, to get our minds off of everything that’s been going on lately…,” Joshua explained, reaching in his pocket and placing the two tickets on Justin’s desk, watching intently as Justin placed his sandwich down and slowly picked the pieces of paper up, the shocked look immediately appearing on his face.

“Plane tickets to Memphis…,” He breathed out, the expression on his face one that JC couldn’t read.

“Um - yeah. I thought that since you know about me and where I’m from and we’re already planning to go to Maryland for Christmas, I wanted to see where you’re from. I thought it’d be good for you to visit home and take some time to ourselves and reconnect with your roots. I know you have your friend Trace out there that you’re always talking to on the phone. I thought it’d be nice if you got to see him,” JC tried to explain his decision, worried Justin didn’t want to go to his hometown. Worried that his hometown brought back so many bad memories that Justin would never want to step foot there again. The worry and fear that he’d made the wrong choice grew, as Justin’s sea-blue eyes raised to meet his. However, he was soon proved incorrect when Justin sweetly smiled at him.

“Thank you so much, Joshua… this means so much to me.”


End file.
